Chandigarh, May 22 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court has imposed a fine of Rs.6 lakh on Congress leader and Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Kharia for subjecting public officials to "unnecessary litigation" in a contempt case filed by him, alleging demolition of a portion of his ancestral property in February by local officials in Kapurthala.

"The present petition constitutes a misuse of the process of the court and reflects an attempt to invoke contempt jurisdiction for purposes alien to its true object and scope. Such petitions not only consume precious judicial time but also subject public officials to unnecessary litigation despite their having acted in purported discharge of statutory obligations," the bench of justice Sudeepti Sharma ...