Delhi Court Slaps ₹5 Lakh Fine on Lawyer for ‘Frivolous’ Plea Seeking to Declare Ayodhya Verdict Null & Void

The Court not only upheld the earlier order but also imposed an additional cost of Rs. 5 lakh to deter what it called “luxurious and frivolous litigation.”

District Judge Dharmender Rana of Patiala House Court in an order dated October 18, upheld the April 2025 ruling of the civil court that had dismissed Pracha’s plea with costs of Rs. 1 lakh.

The judge observed that the initial cost had “failed to achieve the intended goal of deterrence” and therefore warranted enhancement. “Evidently, the cost imposed by the trial court has failed to achieve the intended goal of deterrent effect,” the Court said.

“To effectively check the menace of frivolous and luxurious litigation, the cost amount needs to be suitably enhanced to fetch the desired results," the Judge said.

The Court noted that Pracha had based his case on a public address allegedly made by former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud in Pune, claiming the Ayodhya judgment was “in terms of the solution provided to him by Bhagwan Shri Ram Lala Virajman.”

Relying on this, Pracha sought to have the 2019 Constitution Bench verdict declared void and demanded a fresh adjudication.

The District Judge termed the plea “absolutely frivolous” and observed that Pracha had not even properly studied the Ayodhya judgment. He remarked that the lawyer’s attempt to implead the CJI “soon after his retirement speaks volumes against his oblique intent.”

Emphasizing that seeking divine guidance could not be construed as a fraudulent act, the Court said, “Seeking guidance from the Almighty cannot be berated as a fraudulent act to gain an unfair advantage, either in law or in any religion.”

The judge added that there was “no cause of action” for the suit, especially since Pracha was not a party to the original Ayodhya dispute. Calling the case an “abuse of the process of law,” the Court underscored that “already overburdened dockets cannot afford the menace of luxurious and frivolous litigation.”

Judge Rana also cautioned against a growing trend of targeting public functionaries after they demit office, observing that courts and the Bar have a duty to “ensure a peaceful and pleasant evening to those who have devoted their lives to public service.”

The Supreme Court’s Constitution Bench, in its landmark November 9, 2019 judgment, had unanimously granted the disputed 2.77-acre Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land in Ayodhya to the deity Ram Lalla.