'Glaring Abuse Of PIL, Filed With Ulterior Motive': MP High Court Imposes ₹1 Lakh Cost On Plea Seeking FIR Against Cop
Image by: Shubha Patidar
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation seeking registration of an FIR against a Police Officer, observing that the petition appears to be targeting a particular police officer.
The division bench of Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Binod Kumar Dwivedi observed;
"The conduct of the petitioner as well as the material, which has been placed before us in the form of Facebook Screenshots, we are of the considered view that the present Public Interest Litigation is filed with ulterior motive and is not a genuine PIL, hence the same is dismissed".
The public interest litigation was filed by Sachin Sisodiya, seeking a direction against Saurabh Kushwaha, Reserve Inspector, for the registration of an FIR in Police Station AJK, District Khargone, against Rahul Chouhan.
The counsel for the State claimed that a similar PIL writ petition, No. 34981 of 2025, had been filed earlier by one Arun, represented by the same advocate who also appeared in the present petition.
A writ petition was also filed by Rahul Chouhan, in which the victim compromised the matter and after verification of the compromise by the Principal Registrar of this court. This petition was dismissed as withdrawn through an order dated October 15, 2025.
The counsel for the State contended that the present petition was an abuse of public interest litigation with an ulterior motive to blackmail the private respondent with personal vengeance. He also produced certain screenshots of Facebook posts.
The court noted the previous withdrawal orders, observing that the issues raised had already been settled or abandoned.
The bench noted that despite the earlier PIL being withdrawn, the same counsel appeared again to file another PIL on the same issue. The petition appeared to target a particular police officer, supported by Facebook posts submitted to the court, which included derogatory and threatening comments directed at the officer.
"It is very surprising that one of the counsel, who had appeared in the earlier Public Interest Litigation i.e. Writ Petition No.34981/2025, apart from the complaint filed this Public Interest Litigation after withdrawing the previous petition. Prima Facie we are satisfied that the present petition is an glaring example of abuse of Public Interest Litigation", the bench observed.
The bench, considering the conduct of the petitioner and evidence in the form of Facebook Screenshots, held that the public interest litigation was filed with an ulterior motive and not a genuine petition. Therefore, the bench dismissed the petition with exemplary costs of Rs 1 lakh to be paid to the High Court Legal Aid Services Authority, Indore.
Case Title: Sachin Sisodiya v State of Madhya Pradesh [WP-41584-2025]
For Petitioner: Advocates Lakhan Bhawre, Sagar Kharte and Rakesh Kumar Ahirwar
For State: Additional Advocate General Anand Soni