Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Feb 17: The Supreme court, quashed an appeal by the Association for Social Transparency, Rights and Action (ASTRA), a city-based organization, and Sri Kshetra Gokarna Hitarakshana Samiti. The appeal questioned the order of the state High Court about a public interest litigation that was sought to investigate Sri Raghaveshwara Bharati Swamiji and the Dharmachakra Trust, associated with his Math.

The order by the High Court had imposed a fine, passed strictures and quashed the applications moved by these entities about the filing of PIL which sought the investigation.

In addition to dismissing the public interest litigation moved by these organisations against Swamiji and the trust, the High Court imposed a penalty of Rs 50,000 on the petitioners and issued the permanent injunction against PIL being filed by the advocates representing ASTRA and the Samiti.

Aggrieved by this order, the organisations had gone on appeal to the Supreme Court seeking to annul this order.

The Supreme Court, in the quashing of the appeal, noted that appellants had filed their appeals with a delay of 247 days. They had also filed revision petition with a delay of 264 days. It observed that the concerned had not given any reason for this inordinate delay when dismissing the appeal.