The Delhi High Court has imposed costs of ₹2 lakh on a litigant for repeatedly filing petitions seeking an inquiry into the affairs of Raj Vidya Kender (RVK) and cancellation of its registration, despite similar reliefs having already been rejected in earlier proceedings.
Justice Amit Mahajan observed that the petitioner continued to approach the Court seeking substantially identical reliefs, even after previous dismissals and warnings from a Coordinate Bench.
Background
The petitioner, Satya Prakash Ravidas, filed W.P.(C) 16674/2026 seeking directions to the Registrar of Societies to decide his representation dated October 16, 2026. Through the representation, he sought an inquiry into RVK's affairs and cancellation of its registration under Section 12D of the Societies Registration Act, 1860, as applicable to Delhi.
The Court noted that his earlier petitions seeking similar reliefs had been disposed of through a common judgment dated February 2, 2026. His appeal was subsequently dismissed on April 9, 2026. Two further petitions were also dismissed on April 20 and April 28, 2026.
The Court referred to an earlier order in which a Coordinate Bench had described the petitioner as a chronic litigant and highlighted his failure to disclose previous proceedings.
Justice Mahajan observed:
"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 further noted that the petitioner had again sought substantially the same reliefs through a representation, despite having previously approached the Court directly.
Emphasising the responsibility of litigants appearing in person, the Court remarked:
"Appearing in person does not give the petitioner a licence to file petition after petition on the same issue Such petitions waste the time of the Court, which could otherwise be spent on genuine litigants, and compel the respondents to defend themselves repeatedly on settled issues."
Holding that the petition amounted to an abuse of the process of law, the Delhi High Court dismissed it with costs of ₹2 lakh.
The Court directed the petitioner to deposit the amount with the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee within four weeks.
It further directed the Registry not to list any other case filed by him in future unless the imposed costs were deposited.
