Expressing displeasure over the nature of relief sought in a petition, the Supreme Court on Tuesday imposed a cost of ₹5 lakh on advocate Sandeep Todi for filing what it termed a frivolous plea under Article 32 of the Constitution.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta directed Todi to deposit the amount with the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) within four weeks and listed the matter for hearing after six weeks to verify compliance.

“You have spoiled the atmosphere of this court,” remarked Justice Nath, adding that no prudent lawyer would file such a petition under Article 32, which is meant to enforce fundamental rights.

The bench refused to allow a simple withdrawal of the petition, stating that doing so would “send the wrong message.” However, it permitted the lawyer to withdraw the plea after imposing costs.

The petition, filed on March 25, sought an ex-parte stay on reliefs granted to one Neha Todi (also known as Neha Sitaram Agarwal) in a family dispute, pursuant to a Family Court order dated September 25, 2019. The plea named the Union of India, a Mumbai family court, and the Bombay High Court as respondents.