Advocate Ashok Pandey has filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court seeking Rs. 1 crore compensation from the Union Ministry of Law for his legal efforts protecting former Chief Justice Dipak Misra.
In an unprecedented legal battle, Lucknow-based Advocate Ashok Pandey has moved the Allahabad High Court, demanding Rs. 1 crore in compensation from the Union Ministry of Law and Justice. He claims the amount as reimbursement for his self-initiated legal actions that, according to him, protected former Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra from “humiliation, insult, torture, and removal.”
Pandey’s demand for compensation arises from a series of cases he had filed in the Supreme Court during Justice Misra’s tenure as the 45th Chief Justice of India (August 28, 2017 – October 2, 2018). His legal interventions were aimed at countering an impeachment motion against Justice Misra that had been signed by 71 Rajya Sabha members in April 2018. However, the motion was later dismissed by then Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman, citing a lack of substantial merit.
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Pandey first approached the President of India on February 28, 2024, seeking compensation for his legal efforts. His request was later forwarded to the Law Ministry, which rejected it on July 26, 2024.
The Ministry argued that Pandey had taken these legal actions independently, without any directive from the government, and therefore, no compensation could be granted. Aggrieved by this decision, Pandey has now moved the Allahabad High Court, challenging the rejection.
Pandey highlighted that his legal actions included:
- Filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court to prevent the Rajya Sabha Chairman from proceeding with the impeachment motion.
- Seeking judicial intervention in 2018 to regulate rosters and bench formations in the Supreme Court, a plea that was ultimately dismissed by a three-judge bench in April 2018.
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As the Allahabad High Court takes up the case, the Ministry of Law and Justice has not yet issued any public response to the petition. The case raises crucial questions about whether independent legal activism can warrant financial compensation from the government.
With the court yet to decide on Pandey’s plea, legal experts are watching closely to see if this case sets a precedent for future compensation claims by independent litigants.
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