Top court slams Uttarkhand govt for filing ‘frivolous' appeal, warns of penal action

A bench of Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and Vikram Nath noted that the counsel for the accused did not challenge the conviction before the Uttarakhand High Court and only argued for reduction of sentence and the lawyer for the State did not oppose such a prayer for reduction of sentence.

The top court dismissed the petition filed by the Uttarakhand government with a warning to State that any other attempt of frivolous litigation may be visited with penalisation of officers responsible for sanctioning. “The present petition could only be said to be a frivolous litigation by the State,” the bench said in its October 20 order.