CHENNAI: In a bid to check filing of frivolous public interest litigation (PIL) petitions, the Madras high court on Friday directed a habitual PIL-petitioner, Rangarajan Narasimhan, to deposit 50,000 each for seven PILs he had filed in connection with temple issues to prove his bona fide.
The first bench of chief justice Sanjay Vijaykumar Gangapurwala and justice P D Audikesavalu said the amount, 3.5 lakh, would be returned to the petitioner if the cases were found to be genuine, else the same would be confiscated as penalty.
The bench then directed the registry to list the PILs once the petitioner makes the deposit and adjourned the hearing. The bench passed the order when seven new PILs moved by Rangarajan Narasimhan came up for hearing on Friday.
The PIL-petitioner wanted the court to forebear the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department from appointing any government servant as a ‘fit-person’ for any Hindu religious institution under the administration of the department.
The petitioner further wanted the court to direct the department to appoint retired IAS/IPS officers or judges in the district committees to monitor the opening of hundials in temples till trustees are appointed to such temples.
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