Rajat Vs Union of India & Ors. (Supreme Court of India)
Supreme Court of India dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Rajat, challenging internet tariff hikes by telecom giants Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. The petition also named the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) as respondents. SC ruled that the issue did not warrant judicial intervention under Article 32 of the Constitution. The court emphasized the presence of a free market with various internet service options, including local area networks, BSNL, and MTNL, negating the need for price regulation.
When the petitioner argued that Jio holds an 80% market share, hinting at potential cartelization, the Chief Justice advised approaching the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for such concerns. Dismissing the PIL, the court granted the petitioner the liberty to seek statutory remedies if specific laws were violated. The bench clarified that no observations were made on the merits of the case, leaving room for the petitioner to pursue alternative legal avenues
FULL TEXT OF THE SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT/ORDER
Permission to appear and argue in person is granted.
We are not inclined to entertain this writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India. Hence, the same is dismissed, along with pending application(s), if any.
