The High Court here Friday imposed a fine of Rs 15 lakh on an Allahabad University teacher for filing frivolous cases under the SC/ST Act against her three senior colleagues and quashed the FIRs filed by her.
The court said the complainant, an assistant professor in the economics department, knows the law very well and "had been abusing the provisions of law for personal gain."
Justice Prashant Kumar allowed the petitions filed by professors Manmohan Krishna, Prahlad Kumar and Javed Akhtar against her complaints.
Abuse of process of law
"This is a case where there is pure abuse of process of law where the complainant just to wreak personal vengeance against the Head of Department tried to implicate him and his colleagues by filing false and frivolous cases," the court observed after hearing the parties.
"Whenever the Seniors/Head of Department/Professors asked her to teach properly and to take classes regularly, she would file a complaint against them. This is not one of the first cases which happened. The complainant, who is a well-educated lady, knows the provisions of law very well and she had been abusing the provisions of law for personal gain." added the court.
Imposing a cost of Rs 5 lakh in each case, the court said, "Because of the filing of frivolous cases, the reputation and public image of the applicant and his colleagues, who are Professors and people with high morals and reputation, had been tarnished. They had to run from pillar to post from Police Station to Court to save themselves."
Economics department assistant professor lodged an FIR
On August 4, 2016, the economics department assistant professor lodged an FIR at a police station that she was insulted and harassed by the three professors and they had used words related to her caste while scolding her.
Later, police submitted a charge sheet in the case after which the court issued summons against the professors which were challenged before the high court.
