The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a BJP worker alleging anti-national activities by an organisation known as the “Cockroach Janta Party” and its founder, Abhijit Dipke.
The petition was filed by a BJP worker S. Vignesh Shishir, a resident of Bengaluru, who sought directions for a detailed investigation by agencies such as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He also requested action against various social media accounts allegedly linked to the organisation.
The petitioner claimed that the organisation was involved in activities harmful to the sovereignty and integrity of India and was influencing young people through various social media platforms.
However, a Division Bench comprising Justice Shekhar B. Saraf and Justice Abdhesh Kumar Chaudhary did not examine the merits of these allegations. Instead, the Court observed that the petitioner was a permanent resident of Bengaluru and that the issues raised were of a national nature with no specific connection to Uttar Pradesh.
The Court held that the petition was not maintainable before the Allahabad High Court on the principle of forum non conveniens, meaning that another court would be a more appropriate forum to consider the matter.
The High Court also pulled up the petitioner for attempting to invoke the jurisdiction of the Lucknow Bench despite being a permanent resident of Bengaluru. The Bench noted that although the petitioner sought to rely upon complaints allegedly made from a Lucknow address, he had on earlier occasions categorically informed the Court that he was a resident of Bengaluru and had even sought preference and indulgence on that very ground
As a result, the Allahabad High Court declined to entertain the PIL and did not issue any directions for investigation or action against the organisation or its members.