Delhi judge upholds Article 19, says media can’t be stopped from doing its work
Lawyer Umesh Sharma who filed a frivolous suit against The Delhi Crown
Tis Hazari Civil Judge pulls up lawyer for bringing up frivolous suit against “The Delhi Crown”
Delhi Crown Bureau
New Delhi: Commercial Civil Judge Vaibhav Chaurasia, posted at Delhi’s Tis Hazari Courts, pulled up lawyer Umesh Sharma for bringing up a frivolous civil suit before him and wasting his court’s time.
He said irresponsible lawyers like Umesh Sharma only result in increasing the number of court cases leading to the huge pendency faced in this country.
The civil judge observed that the civil suit titled “Chhaya Sharma Vs. Press Information Bureau & Others” was not maintainable, for lack of locus standi of the plaintiff.
Hearing the civil suit (No. 378/2023) brought up by lawyer Umesh Sharma on behalf of his “lady love” Chhaya Sharma, Civil Judge Vaibhav Chaurasia had to intervene several times to stop the former from making lose arguments.
It may be noted that lawyer Umesh Sharma’s lawyer wife Sunita Bhardwaj has on record mentioned at several courts of law about the “illicit relationship” between her husband and Chhaya Sharma.
“You are not replying to what I am asking. Don’t make lose arguments to prove your case. Kindly stick to the subject matter of this civil suit. Don’t try to create an impression that it’s a Writ,” the judge yelled at lawyer Umesh Sharma even as he continued arguing meaninglessly.
Lawyer Umesh Sharma had got a civil suit filed on behalf of his “lady love” Chhaya Sharma making the Government of India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB), a senior journalist, The Delhi Crown, and the Delhi-based Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) of South Asia as the defendants.
Repeatedly asking “What locus standi does the plaintiff (Chhaya Sharma) have to file this case”, Civil Judge Vaibhav Chaurasia rebuked lawyer Umesh Sharma asking him to refrain from making baseless arguments after bringing about a silly civil suit before him.
To lawyer Umesh Sharma’s plea for an order/direction from the court to The Delhi Crown to stop publishing articles about his “illicit relationship” with Chhaya Sharma, Civil Judge Vaibhav Chaurasia stated, “No. Media cannot be dictated in this country. Indian Constitution’s Article 19 guarantees freedom of speech and expression, and media has every right to publish whatever has come on the record or has been documented. You cannot ask for such directions/orders from a court.”
