Delhi High Court Expresses Shock After Juhi Chawla Fails To Pay Penalty

Juhi Chawla Plea: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday gave a week's time to actor Juhi Chawla and two others who had filed the petition in connection with 5G technology in India to pay the penalty deposit of ₹20 lakh. The petitioners had been fined for their frivolous plea.

The judges expressed shock over Juhi Chawla and the other two petitioners as the court said are "not willing to gracefully deposit" the amount.  This happened when the judges were hearing a plea filed by plaintiffs asking for a waiver in penalty amount, refund of the court fee and removal of the word "dismissed" in the judgement to "rejected". The court that it was "shocked" by the conduct of the petitioners.

Justice J.R. Midha said, "I was shocked...This court took a lenient view and did not issue contempt when case was made out...You say the court had no power to impose costs court has the power to issue contempt."

Juhi Chawla Plea On 5G Technology:

In May when the actor along with the two others had filed the plea, the open link of the virtual hearing was shared on social media. The court had called it a publicity stunt and had said that the plaintiffs approached the matter without any personal knowledge of the issue.

The court had said that the plaint was "stuffed with unnecessary, scandalous, frivolous and vexatious averments which are liable to be struck down".

Juhi Chawla in her petition had asked for scientific clarification on 5G technology and information about the adverse effects of the radio-frequency radiation emitted by telecommunications dealing with 5G. The information was sought in the subject of health, life, organ or limb of adult or child or flora or fauna.

After the court's dismissal of the plea, Chawla had alleged that the important aspects of the plea were overshadowed. She had said that the plea did not aim to challenge the usage of the technology in the country but just sought scientific knowledge and clarification of the same. Read more here.