The Supreme Court on Monday slapped Rs 50,000 cost on Leena Paulose, wife of jailed conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar for challenging a Delhi High Court order adjourning her bail plea from October to November. The court slammed the counsel appearing for Paulose for filing such a plea and said that just because they have money, which is not even their own, they cannot file a frivolous plea in Supreme Court.
A bench of Justice Bela Trivedi and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma at the outset of hearing asked the lawyer appearing for the conman's wife as to how much cost they want for such a frivolous plea. The court asked how they could challenge the adjournment when they themselves had informed the high court that connected matters were pending following which the court had adjourned the plea till November 14.
Justice Sharma asked, "Tell me how much cost? You submitted before the High Court that connected matters are there and now you have challenged that order."
Leena Paulose's counsel pleaded with the bench to allow him to withdraw the plea which he called "misconceived."
"Please don't impose a cost. It will hamper the trial," Paulose's counsel pleaded.
Justice Trivedi replied: "Let it hamper!"
Justice Bela Trivedi pulled up the counsel appearing for Paulose saying that just because you have money, you cannot come here (Supreme Court) all the time.
At this time Justice Sharma remarked, "that is not your money as well!"
The bench imposed a Rs 50,000 cost noting that there has to be some deterrence of the Supreme Court when such frivolous applications are filed and directed the Conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar's wife to deposit the same in two weeks.