Chennai: Madras high court on Wednesday dismissed as not maintainable a public interest writ petition filed by YouTuber Savukku Shankar seeking a CBI probe against senior IPS officer and DVAC director A Arun based on adverse observations made against the latter by a division bench in a habeas corpus petition.“PIL is a sacred tool intended to bring justice within the reach of the marginalised and vulnerable segments of society who are unable to approach the courts due to structural or economic socio-disabilities. It cannot be reduced to a forum for vindicating personal animosity,” the first bench of Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan said.The ultimate test of substance and public interest cannot be used as a shield to validate an action that is fundamentally rooted in personal animosity. In the instant case, the record is unmistakably clear about the petitioner’s personal grievance against the officer and the same completely strips this petition of its bona fide character, the court said.Since the division bench order relied by the petitioner explicitly records the hostile backdrop and serious personal allegations made by the petitioner against the officer, the intent behind this petition cannot be termed as purely public-spirited or bona fide. Consequently, the present PIL at the instance of the petitioner is not maintainable, the bench added.In light of the aforesaid findings and authoritative pronouncements of the Supreme Court, this court holds that the petitioner lacks the bona fides required to sustain this action, the bench concluded.
