Supreme Court dismisses petition after tense exchange with Ludhiana trader
March 11, 2026: The Supreme Court of India witnessed a tense moment during a hearing when Chief Justice Surya Kant questioned a trader from Ludhiana, Punjab who had filed a public interest litigation seeking to bring the PM CARES Fund under the Right to Information Act. The bench, which also included Justices Joymalya Bagchi and R Mahadevan, questioned the petitioner about whether he had personally drafted the petition or received legal assistance. The trader, appearing in person, told the court he had studied till Class 12 and runs a hosiery business.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice expressed doubts about the authorship of the petition, noting that it contained complex legal terminology. He asked the petitioner to explain the phrase “Fiduciary Risk of Corporate Donors,” but the trader was unable to clarify it. The Chief Justice remarked that he would “test” the petitioner and said that if he could score even 30 percent in explaining the document, the court might believe he had written it himself.
The petitioner later said he had drafted the plea using help from three or four AI tools because he could not afford a lawyer. He also revealed that a typist named “Mr Das” helped format the document in exchange for gifts and a fee. The court directed the typist to appear before the bench but ultimately dismissed the petition, calling it “vague, wild, frivolous and scandalous” and filed without responsibility, though it chose not to pursue further action.