Supreme Court of India, Image courtesy: https://www.india.com
New Delhi: Less than two weeks after the Supreme Court imposed a fine of Rs. 25,000 on Madhya Pradesh for inordinate delay in filing a Special Leave Petition, the state on Wednesday attracted a fine of Rs. 35,000 in a similar case.
Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul led bench remarked that the state of Madhya Pradesh continues to do the same thing again and again and the conduct seems to be incorrigible.
The court's observation came in while dismissing a Special Leave Petition filed by the state after 588 days since it got permission for the same from the government advocate.
On October 15, the court had imposed a fine of Rs. 25,000 for delay of 663 days and remarked that the apex court cannot be a place for the governments to walk in when they choose ignoring the period of limitation prescribed.
On Wednesday, the apex court asked the Chief Secretary of the state to look into the aspect of revamping the legal department as it appears that the department is unable to file appeals within any reasonable period of time.
"Looking to the period of delay and the casual manner in which the application has been worded, the wastage of judicial time involved, we impose cost on the petitioner/state of Rs. 35,000 to be deposited within four weeks. The amount be recovered from the officer(s) responsible for the delay in filing and sitting on the files and certificate of recovery of the said amount be also filed in this court within the said period of time.
The court also warned the Deputy Advocate General that the cost of fine will go up for "any successive matters of this kind".