The Delhi High Court expunged remarks made by its judge against actress Juhi Chawla, who had filed a lawsuit challenging the establishment of 5G wireless networks in the country due to health risks, in order to gain publicity. Chawla's costs were reduced from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 2 lakh by a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh, who said she did not take up the 5G issue in a “frivolous and casual manner".
The division bench upheld Chawla's appeal and overturned a single judge's June 4, 2021 order dismissing Chawla's and two other people's lawsuits as "defective," "abuse of process of law," and filed for "gaining publicity."
The actress, who was in attendance at the virtual hearing, volunteered to work with the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) and participate in programmes aimed at empowering the marginalized section of the society.
In the lawsuit, the appellants, including Juhi Chawla, claimed that if the telecom industry's plans for 5G are realised,"no person, animal, bird, insect and plant on earth will be able to avoid exposure, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to levels of RF radiation that are 10x to 100x times greater than what exists today".
It had asked the authorities for permission to certify to the general public that 5G technology is safe for humans, animals, and all other types of living organisms, flora, and fauna.
When the single judge dismissed Chawla's lawsuit, he stated that it was "not maintainable" and "stuffed with unnecessary Scandalous, frivolous, and vexatious averments" that would be overturned.
The judge also stated that Juhi Chawla and others filed the lawsuit in order to gain publicity. He stated that this was clear because Chawla shared the video link to the hearing on social media, causing disruptions.
