Delhi High Court Imposes ₹2 Lakh Costs On 'Serial Litigant', Bars Listing Of Fresh Cases Until Payment

The Delhi High Court has imposed costs of Rs. 2 lakh on a litigant for repeatedly approaching the Court seeking an inquiry into the affairs of a society and cancellation of its registration, despite similar reliefs having been rejected in earlier proceedings.

Justice Amit Mahajan observed that the litigant, despite dismissal of his earlier petitions and the observations made by a Coordinate Bench, continued to approach the Court seeking substantially the same reliefs.

“Appearing in person does not give the petitioner a licence to file petition after petition on the same issue,” the Court observed.

The Court further remarked that such petitions waste judicial time, which could otherwise be spent on genuine litigants, and compel respondents to repeatedly defend themselves on issues that have already been settled.

The petitioner, Satya Prakash Ravidas, approached the Court seeking a direction to the Registrar of Societies to decide his representation dated October 16.

Through the representation, he had sought an inquiry into the affairs of Raj Vidya Kender (RVK) and cancellation of its registration under Section 12D of the Societies Registration Act, 1860, as applicable to Delhi.

The Court noted that Ravidas had earlier filed similar writ petitions concerning the society, which were disposed of by a common judgment dated February p2. In that judgment, the Court had declined to direct the Registrar to conduct an inquiry into the society's affairs or cancel its registration.

His appeal against the judgment was dismissed on April 09. Subsequently, two more petitions filed by him were dismissed on April 20 and April 28.

The Court also referred to a Coordinate Bench's order dated April 28, which had described the petitioner as a “chronic litigant” for filing multiple proceedings concerning substantially overlapping reliefs. The Bench had also noted that he was duty-bound to disclose the earlier proceedings.

Despite this, Ravidas filed another plea seeking directions to authorities to consider his representation concerning the proposed 126th Hans Jayanti event scheduled for November 7-8, at the society's premises in Shahurpur, Chhattarpur, Mehrauli.

On November 03, the Court had prima facie indicated that costs would be imposed on the petitioner and directed him to deposit Rs. 50,000 to secure the costs. The matter was adjourned to January 08, 2027.

The Court noted that the litigant had thereafter filed the petition in question seeking substantially similar reliefs.

It observed that his grievance had remained the same throughout the proceedings, including demands for an inquiry into the society's affairs, cancellation of its registration and a declaration that its change of name from Divine United Organisation was void.

“What the petitioner earlier sought directly from this Court, he now seeks through a representation,” the Court remarked.

It also took note of the fact that Ravidas had stated in the petition that he had not filed any other similar matter, while failing to disclose the previous petitions seeking essentially the same reliefs.

“The conduct of the petitioner shows that he is a serial chronic litigant. Despite the dismissal of his earlier petitions, the observations of the Coordinate Bench and the leniency shown to him, the petitioner has continued to approach this Court, time and again, seeking substantially the same relief. Such conduct cannot be countenanced,” the Court said while

Holding that the petition amounted to a clear abuse of the process of law, the Court dismissed it with costs of Ra. 2 lakh, to be deposited with the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee within four weeks.

The Court also directed the Registry not to list any other case filed by Ravidas in future unless the aforesaid costs were deposited.