Rajasthan High Court Declares Babu Lal Meena a Vexatious Litigant

Court Bars Meena from Instituting or Continuing Legal Proceedings Without Permission

In a landmark decision, the Rajasthan High Court has declared Babu Lal Meena a vexatious litigant under the Rajasthan Vexatious Litigation (Prevention) Act, 2015. The court found Meena guilty of habitually filing frivolous lawsuits, thereby abusing the judicial process and wasting public resources. This judgment was delivered by a division bench comprising Mr. Sanjeev Prakash Sharma, ACJ, and Baljinder Singh Sandhu, J., at the Jaipur Bench of the Rajasthan High Court.

The case, initiated by the State Bank of India, highlighted that Meena, a former employee of the bank, repeatedly filed baseless legal actions against the bank and its officers. It was argued that these actions were initiated without reasonable grounds, causing undue harassment to numerous bank officials and leading to a significant wastage of public resources. The court noted that Meena's actions were not only vexatious but also a misuse of the judicial system.

The judgment emphasized the need to deter frivolous litigation, referencing principles set by the Supreme Court in cases like Subrata Roy Sahara and Mahmood Ali. The court observed that the proliferation of such cases burdens the judicial system and causes unnecessary distress to the parties involved.

Under the provisions of the Rajasthan Vexatious Litigation (Prevention) Act, Meena is now prohibited from initiating any new civil or criminal proceedings without obtaining prior leave from the court. Any ongoing cases he has filed will also require court approval to continue.

The court further directed that this order be published in the official gazette and communicated to all relevant courts to prevent Meena from circumventing this restriction. This decision is expected to serve as a deterrent against the misuse of legal processes and to preserve the integrity of judicial resources.

Bottom Line:

Rajasthan Vexatious Litigation (Prevention) Act, 2015 - Respondent declared as a vexatious litigant for habitually instituting frivolous and vexatious proceedings, causing abuse of process of law and wastage of public resources.

Statutory provision(s): Rajasthan Vexatious Litigation (Prevention) Act, 2015 Sections 2(1)(c), 3, and 5; Rajasthan Vexatious Litigation (Prevention) Rules, 2017

State Bank of India v. Babu Lal Meena, (Rajasthan)(Jaipur Bench)(DB) : Law Finder Doc Id # 2820208