Supreme Court stays ₹1 lakh costs imposed by Allahabad High Court on advocate Mehmood Pracha

The Allahabad High Court had imposed the costs on the ground that Pracha resorted to forum shopping and also argued his case wearing lawyer’s robe and a band despite being a petitioner in-person.

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the direction by the Allahabad High Court to impose costs of ₹1 lakh on advocate Mehmood Pracha for forum shopping and for arguing a case wearing a lawyer’s robe and a band despite being a petitioner in-person [Mehmood Pracha v Election Commission of India and ors]

A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan issued limited notice on whether adverse remarks made by the High Court against Pracha need to be expunged.

“Issue notice for the limited purpose as to why the observations made by the High Court against the petitioner be not expunged and why the order imposing cost be not set aside, returnable on 09.12.2024. 2. Meanwhile, impugned order dated 10.09.2024 to the extent of imposition of cost shall remain stayed,” the Court directed.

Pracha had moved the Allahabad High Court seeking verification of videos of the entire electoral process for the Rampur Lok Sabha seat, from where had contested as an independent candidate during the 2024 general elections.

The videos had been supplied to him by the Election Commission of India based on his plea before the Delhi High Court.

The Allahabad High Court objected to what it termed as ‘forum shopping’, by Pracha as well as his attire, and proceeded to impose the costs while dismissing the plea. It noted that Pracha had caused loss of ‘precious time’ of the court by his conduct.

The Supreme Court today stayed the direction to impose costs and also asked Pracha not to pursue the main case further before the High Court for now.

Advocates Tasneem Ahmadi, RHA Sikander, Jatin Bhatt, Sanawar, Kshitij Singh, Mahima Rathi, Pragya Rathi, Nujhat Naseem and Sadiya Sultan appeared for Pracha before Supreme Court.