"Do Homework": Court Warns Petitioner Not To File Litigation After Reading Newspapers

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday cautioned a petitioner against reading news reports and filing litigation and asked him to "do homework first".

A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela made the observation while dismissing a PIL seeking the regulation of external recruitment companies or agents for public sector banks and their allied institutions.

The petition also sought independent investigation by the SEBI or the CBI in alleged malpractices in recruitment within Can Fin Homes Ltd (CFHL), a publicly listed company under the management control of Canara Bank.

The bench termed the petition "half baked" after noting that a news portal reported that a certain whistleblower complained to the bank about "serious malpractices in recruitment", enquiry was done, nothing was found and matter was closed.

The judge questioned the evidence value of newspaper reports, saying the court cannot take cognisance of a news report unless corroborated.

"What is evidence value of newspaper report? Do your research. These kind of petitions picking up one report or other. What catches your imagination after reading the newspaper?" the court asked, grilling the petitioner about the reason why he did not approach SEBI, or the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), if there was a crime.

The judge further suggested the petitioner not to take the PIL law "so lightly".

"A trend has been going on of gathering one or two information, mostly newspaper reports, and filing PIL and asking courts or other parties to produce evidence. You have to do your own homework. Newspaper padh ke PIL may file kiya kijiye (file PIL after reading news reports)," the judge said.

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