Top court to examine if parties can file PILs

NEW DELHI: Can a political figure or a party file a petition before the Supreme Court, claiming to espouse public interest?

The apex court will examine the issue that cropped up before it in a case related to AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

A bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Amitava Roy agreed to first adjudicate whether NGO-turned-political outfit Swaraj Abhiyan’s petition seeking a probe into the deal could have been filed as a public interest petition. A similar petition filed by a Chattisgarh leader would also be considered.

Attorney general Mukul Rohatgi’s opposition to the two petitions prompted the bench to first determine its maintainability. Rohatgi said the petitions were filed with a political motive and such a plea should not be entertained due to the political colour attached to the petitions.

The top law officer informed the bench “those behind” Swaraj Abhiyan had approached the Election Commission for registering its affiliate “Swaraj India” as a political party.

As far as the other PIL petitioner T S Singh Deo was concerned, Rohatgi contended, he was a leader of opposition in the Chattisgarh Legislative Assembly. In the Himalayas, seeing a leopard is normal. We assume it’s their habitat. But see one in Mumbai, Ananthpur, Delhi, Bengaluru or any other city, we assume the animal is displaced. It is as if a city is one large concrete jungle where the only place for a wild animal is the zoo. Indeed, we read about the forest department slogging away to capture the animal to remove it from its wrong place. But is it out of place?