Sharma Pleads For Exemption From Compensation In Petrol Pump Case

A division bench consisting of Justice Kuldip Singh and Justice Faizan ud-Din had, in their judgment on September 25, issued a show-cause notice to Sharma on criminal and civil liabilities for allotting petrol pumps from his discretionary quota.

The court extended liability under torts to ministers who abuse power, thus causing loss to the state exchequer. The judgment said: We take it to be perfectly clear that if a public servant abuses his office and the consequence of that is injury to an individual or loss of public property, an action may be maintained against such public servant.

Senior counsel Harish Salve, representing the former minister, submitted that he was not questioning the striking down of the allotment of petrol pumps./center>