Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday dismissed an application filed by a lawyer, seeking notice of contempt against the Maharashtra Wakf Board and the Maharashra government for failing to reply to a PIL filed in connection with alleged illegal sale of Wakf land on which MukeshAmbani’s city residence Antilia is built. The court rejected the application as the lawyer was not party to the PIL and his application for intervention was still pending before the high court.
Advocate EjazNaqvi claimed before a division bench of chief justice ManjulaChellur and justice M.S. Sonak of the Bombay high court that the court had directed the state government and the Wakf Board around 10 years ago to reply to the PIL filed in connection with sale of land on which Antilia stands. Advocate Naqvi contended that the Bombay high court on August 27, 2007, directed the respondents to file a reply and later, on July 7, 2017, once again directed them to file a reply however no reply was filed. Advocate Naqvi contended that since a reply had not been filed despite a decade-old court order, the court should initiate contempt proceedings against the respondents.
The bench told advocate Naqvi that his application seeking permission to intervene in the PIL was yet to be decided and as he was not party to the petition, he could not file a petition seeking contempt proceedings.
