Supreme Court reduces costs imposed on Narcotics Control Bureau over delayed appeal
It has further been ordered that compliance of the same is not to be made by the departmental officer, but instead by the Union of India.;
The Supreme Court of India recently reduced the costs imposed on Narcotic Control Bureau by the Calcutta High Court for their delay in filing an appeal before it.
After hearing the Additional Solicitor General Satya Darshi Sanjay, the Supreme Court's bench of Justices MM Sundresh and K Vinod Chandran was not inclined to interfere with the impugned order.
It accordingly dismissed the special leave petition moved by the Union of India while ordering that, "However, we reduce the cost as imposed by the impugned order from Rs.1,00,000/- to Rs.50,000/- and compliance of the same is not to be made by the departmental officer, but instead to be done by the petitioner.".
The Calcutta High Court through a June 16, 2024 order had imposed costs on NCB for its delay in appealing against an acquittal in a case. NCB was directed to recover the costs from its personnel involved in the process of drafting and filing the government appeal.
High Court had told NCB that it was required to apply for a leave to appeal under Section 378 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
When NCB sought to withdraw the appeal, the High Court said that granting unconditional leave to withdraw would not suffice interest of justice and NCB must be put on terms, as it imposed ₹1 lakh costs.
Case Title: UNION OF INDIA vs. MANASH DEY MUNSHI