The supreme court of India ordered exemplary cost of rupees 100000 on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) where petitioners approached for a judicial declaration to recognize a leader of a sect as ‘Paramatma’.
This incident was shocking and non grantable in a secular country like India. The Supreme Court Justice M.R Shah was furious as the petitioner who appeared in person, urged the court to direct the citizens to accept Sri Sri Anukul Chandra as the ‘Supreme Spirit’.He had approached the court under article 32 of the constitution which is enshrined in the constitution to protect the fundamental rights of an individual against the might of the state. The petitioner has been directed to pay the exemplary cost within 4 weeks.
When the petitioner started to read out verbatim from his petition, justice Shah said that the court was not here to listen to a lecture. He further said “India is a secular country ,the citizens of India may accept whatever they choose to believe in. You cannot force them to believe in your sect leader as the ‘Param atma ‘or ‘The supreme spirit’ . He added that ” let others believe what they want to, you cannot force others to join your food. we are imposing exemplary cost on you so that others don’t come to court with such PILs.”