High Court rejects PIL, imposes 50,000 fine on petitioners

JABALPUR: Madhya Pradesh High Court (MPHC) on Thursday dismissed a PIL demanding a CBI inquiry into BJP minister Sanjay Pathank's role in alleged Rs 500 crore hawala racket and transfer of Katni SP Gaurav Tiwari, who was probing the case, imposing a fine of Rs 50,000 on petitioners for filing a "frivolous" public interest litigation.
While dismissing the PIL filed by Katni jila panchayat president Kanihiya Tiwari and Rajesh Saurabh, acting Chief Justice Rajendra K Menon and Justice H P Singh asked the bar council to filter out such frivolous petitions.
The court observed that this PIL was sponsored and moved with a vindictive intention as they were already into a legal battle with the said BJP minister.
The court also ruled that Tiwari's transfer was a service matter and the petitioners had moved the PIL without corroborative documents just on media reports.
Gaurav Tiwari, whose transfer triggered unprecedented public protests in MP's Katni, joined as SP Chhindwara on Sunday. Tiwari was transferred while investigating an alleged hawala scam in which some BJP leaders names have cropped up.
On Saturday, 15 AAP members were arrested and sent to jail in Katni district for protesting against Tiwari's transfer. On Friday, more than 200 people, mostly women, had taken out a rally. A group of social organisations is likely to hold a 'rail roko andolan' on Monday.
The 2010-batch IPS officer was investigating some influential BJP leaders for their alleged links with a Rs 500-crore money laundering racket.
The MP government has written to enforcement directorate to look into the matter after a public outcry. The state Congress had been gunning for Sanjay Pathak, MSME minister, for "trying to get Tiwari shifted."