Fake currency PIL: Bombay HC removes PM, FM and HM as respondents

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court today issued notices to Home Ministry, RBI, CAG and others on a public interest litigation on the issue of fake currency notes but deleted the names of Prime Minister, Union Finance Minister and Home Minister as respondents.

"We have perused the petition and in our view it is not proper and required to have them (PM, FM and HM) as party respondents in this petition," a division bench of Justices V M Kanade and Revati Mohite Dere said.

The court had last week come down heavily on the petitioner, RTI activist Manoranjan Roy, for arraigning the Prime Minister of the country as a respondent.

The court had warned that it will impose heavy cost on the petitioner but today took a soft stand and said it was deleting the names.

The bench today issued notices to the Ministry of Home Affairs, RBI, Comptroller and Auditor General of India and Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd and posted the petition for hearing after four weeks.

The court, however, noted that even after perusing the petition it has not clearly understood the petitioner's grievance.

Earlier this week, the court had said, "What does the Prime Minister of this country have to do with the issue of fake currency notes? You (petitioner) should have added the concerned ministry as respondent. Such type of frivolous PILs cannot be entertained. You deposit Rs 10 lakh first to prove your bonafide, then we will hear your petition."

"He is the Prime Minister of this country and not some Congress leader or BJP leader. Such PILs are filed just to harass," the court had observed.