Kerala HC Dismisses PIL Against Fund Collection for Wayanad Landslides

The Kerala High Court dismissed a PIL against the collection of multiple funds for the Wayanad landslides, imposing a Rs 25,000 fine on the petitioner. The court found no public interest in the petition and directed the fine to be paid towards the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund.

The Kerala High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the collection of multiple funds in the aftermath of the recent landslides in Wayanad. The court also imposed a Rs 25,000 fine on the petitioner, C Shukoor, who is a lawyer. This division bench, comprising Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and V M Syam Kumar, directed that the fine amount be paid towards the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).

The plea claimed that there was no monitoring over the funds being collected by various organizations in the name of the Wayanad disaster. It contended that if such collections are not regulated or overseen, they could be misused. The petition also sought the transfer of all collected funds to the CMDRF.

The court, however, rejected the PIL, stating that there was no public interest served by the petition and expressed no doubts about the intentions of the fund-collecting individuals and organizations. The court emphasized that there is no need for additional regulation or monitoring of these collections.