RAVJIBHAI BHIL Vs. STATE OF GUJARAT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This is a public interest litigation. Petitioner claims to be a social worker and organiser of Adivasi Seva Mandal, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad. He prays for ordering inquiry into the affairs of Gujarat Maritime Board preferably through the Central Bureau of Investigation. The averment made by the petitioner is that Gujarat Maritime Board is indulging in financial irregularities causing heavy loss to the public which warrants thorough inquiry.

(2.) Mr. C.M. Parmar, Deputy Secretary to the Gujarat Maritime Board has sworn to an affidavit-in-reply. The stand taken in that affidavit is that this petition is not maintainable as a public interest litigation for petitioner is not an aggrieved party and none of his fundamental rights are affected by the activities of the Board. Even though various allegations of irregularities mentioned by the petitioner in this application have been denied, no details in support of the denial are given in the reply. After denying the allegations deponent was concentrating on absence of locus standi on the part of the petitioner.

(3.) Petitoner states that mismanagement of the affairs of the Board has resulted into huge loss to the tune of crores of rupees to the public. He states that nearly fifty crores of rupees have been misappropriated by the officers and administrators of the Board and this fact was published in newspapers. Publication of such news item in the media is not disputed in the reply, but what the deponent states is that publication of news was an activity of the present petitioner and that this Court should direct the Press Council of India to take appropriate action against such newspapers run and managed by blackmailers and those who indulge in yellow journalism. On this count it is worthwhile to note that the Board has not moved even its little finger till date to proceed against those publishers who caused the news items published.