Karnataka High Court Waives ₹50,000 Cost Imposed On Lawyer Who Filed PIL Seeking To Stall Release Of 'Jolly LLB 3' Film

The Karnataka High Court on Friday (October 31) waived the cost of Rs 50,000 imposed on a lawyer who had filed a PIL seeking to stop the release and exhibition of the film 'Jolly LLB 3' which had released on September 19.

By its order dated September 18, the court had dismissed the petition filed by advocate Syeda Neelufur and imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 on her for "unjustifiable imposition on judicial time". 

The court had then directed the cost to be deposited with the court registry, failing which, the matter was to be listed again for the purpose of instituting coercive steps.

The counsel appearing for the petitioner argued today that the petitioner is a new lawyer and she could not understand the impact of filing the petition. "We have filed a review petition also in the court seeking to waive the cost," the counsel said. 

Initially the court was not inclined to grant any relief and said, “We told beforehand that this is an abuse of the process of law. We are not interested in imposing cost on anybody but we will not countenance. The court is being made to get some cheap publicity in newspapers, the whole object of putting this (petition) is to ensure that you put in the newspapers, pay the cost for it.”

It added “When you file a PIL there is an undertaking that cost will be paid. Everyone who files a PIL should be conscious of this fact.”

However, the counsel reiterated that she (petitioner) is a new lawyer, she has lost her father also. Following which the court said “We will waive the cost but not on principle but you please caution the petitioner.”

A division bench of Chief Justice Viibhu Bakhru and Justice C M Joshi, in its order noted

“The learned counsel for petitioner submits that the petitioner tenders an unqualified apology for filing the frivolous petition and requests that the cost be waived. He submits that the counsel had recently joined the practise and was also suffering from certain mental disturbance as she had lost her father. Although we were not inclined to waive the cost but given the mitigating circumstances as mentioned by the ld counsel we waive the cost imposed.”

Case Title: SYEDA NEELUFUR AND Union of India & Others

Case No: WP 27215/2025