Rajasthan High Court Invokes Vexatious Litigation (Prevention) Act Against Ex-SBI Officer, Bars Him From Filing Cases Without Prior Leave

The Rajasthan High Court has invoked the Rajasthan Vexatious Litigation (Prevention) Act, 2015 to declare a former officer of State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (now SBI) as a vexatious litigant, based on the finding of him habitually instituting frivolous and vindictive litigation against the bank and its officers.

The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Baljinder Singh Sandhu took into account the fact that the respondent who was compulsorily retired in 2015 had filed multiple FIRs across police stations in different districts against the bank as well as its 47 officers.

It was noted that such litigation was initiated in routine manner whenever a disciplinary action was contemplated against him by the bank.

The Court was hearing an application under Section 2(1)C of the Act, filed by SBI seeking declaration of the respondent as a vexatious litigant.

“A chart has been placed before this Court in the application pointing out the FIRs and complaints registered at Police Stations… In those cases where final report was submitted, protest petitions were filed by the respondent which too were rejected and thereafter revision petitions have also been filed. It is stated that none of the officers has any personal bearing with the respondent. Bank has incurred huge loss of public resources and the officers have had to travel for dealing with the litigations initiated by the respondent.”

The Court made a reference to the Supreme Court case of Subrata Roy Sahara vs Union of India and Ors. in which the Apex Court had frowned upon frivolous litigation, and had observed that means would have to be evolved to deter litigants from filing senseless and ill-considered claims.

It was highlighted that the matter related back to the time when the respondent was an employee of the bank, and based on the fact that he was still continuing to register cases ever after filing of FIR, the respondent was held to be a vexatious litigant by the Court.

As a consequence of this declaration, the Court held that no proceedings (civil or criminal) shall be continued by him in any High Court or any subordinate Court. In case he wanted to initiate any proceedings, he would have to first take leave of court.

The Court directed the order to be published in the official gazette as per the applicable rules framed by the High Court.

Accordingly, the application was allowed.

Title: State Bank of India & Anr. v Babu Lal Meena

Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Raj) 411

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