PUBLICITY OR PUBLIC GOOD?

THE JURY IS STILL OUT ON THE INTENT BEHIND JUHI CHAWLA’S PLEA AND THE DELHI HC’S RAP

She may have got it right with the IPL but definitely not with a PIL! Bollywood star Juhi Chawla’s lawsuit against the implementation of the 5G technology has cost her dear. Not only was her credibility dented after the Delhi High Court ruled that her Public Interest Litigation was filed to gain publicity and that she had abused the process of law, the whopping fine of `20 lakh imposed on her is the highest handed down to an individual till date.

While dismissing the actor’s lawsuit, the High Court cited the Supreme Court precedent of fining RJD MLA Ravindra Singh Rs 10 lakh in 2017 for wasting “precious judicial time” through frivolous litigation, thus sending a message to habitual PIL petitioners to be wary of hefty costs.

Advocate Adnan Shaikh feels that though it is heartening to see someone from Bollywood file a PIL, albeit for the wrong reasons, such a move can be quite risky if one does not approach the court with complete preparation. “Juhi Chawla’s fine of `20 Lakh is unprecedented and possibly the highest till date. The court ruled this way maybe because it was fed up with defective PILs being filed during the pandemic. It’s easy to do nowadays, since it’s all online,” he says. “Every judge was once a lawyer and they generally

know the real intent behind filing PILs. The intent behind this one was obvious, because everything made it to Juhi’s Twitter handle, including the link to the hearing,” he notes, adding, “Anyone who has her kind of money and social standing could have done a better job. Other Bollywood stars should learn a lesson, come forward only when fully prepared!”

In her plea, Juhi had sought a direction to the authorities to certify for the benefit of the general public that 5G technology is safe for humans, animals and every type of living organism. The Court questioned Chawla for filing the suit without making a prior representation to the government on her concerns.

In an earlier case, the then Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar had imposed a cost of `1 lakh in 2017 on a 66-year-old retired teacher from Maharashtra who had moved the SC challenging a reservation-related notification of the State government.

Environmental activist Kajal Maheshwari says, “Juhi’s lawyers should ideally have explained to her that this is not Bollywood, and a court hearing link should not be shared on a public platform. Also, guidance about approaching the Government on the matter before approaching the court should also have been suggested.”

However, Kajal has a caveat, “I have not delved deep into the subject of the harmful effects of 5G, but I appreciate Juhi Chawla for taking a stand for the greater good. When one stands for a cause that is beyond personal interest, one must be mentally prepared to take such setbacks in one’s stride. While many look at it as a personal failure, actually this is a collective loss in the sense that a voice of courage is shown the door.”