SC slaps cost on 7 states for not filing responses

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday slapped cost of up to Rs 1 lakh on seven states for failing to file responses regarding setting up of human rights courts despite its January 2018 direction.

The top court imposed cost of Rs 1 lakh each on Rajasthan and Uttarakhand while noting that neither have they filed their responses nor their advocates were present in the court during the hearing.

A bench comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and B R Gavai also slapped cost of Rs 50,000 each on Telengana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Meghalaya and Mizoram after it was told that these states have not filed their responses.

The bench said these seven states can file their response within four weeks subject to payment of cost.

The top court had on January 4, 2018 directed all the states to file their responses on the issue of setting up of human rights courts as mandated in the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, and appointment of special public prosecutors.