Allahabad High Court

AMIT KUMAR SINGHversusSTATE OF U.P. AND 5 OTHERS

Decided: 5 May 2026
Bench: ARUN BHANSALI KSHITIJ SHAILENDRA

Holding

A petitioner who does not disclose a sufficient nexus to the subject matter lacks standing, and the PIL is dismissed.

Summary

The petition, filed as a public‑interest litigation, sought a court direction compelling the State of Uttar Pradesh and other respondents to grant tube‑well electricity connections to farmers and to regularise private tube‑well connections under a government scheme dated 6 December 2018. The petitioner, identified as a businessman, offered no evidence of any personal or representative interest in the farmers’ plight, merely claiming to be a law‑abiding citizen acting in the public interest. The respondents argued that the petition lacked the requisite locus standi and that the petitioner’s credentials were undisclosed. The Court examined the procedural requirement that a PIL petitioner must disclose a sufficient nexus to the subject matter to establish standing. Finding the petitioner’s claim of public‑interest motive unsubstantiated and his lack of connection to the issue, the Court dismissed the petition. The dismissal underscores that PILs cannot be entertained where the petitioner fails to demonstrate a genuine interest or standing in the matter.

Issues considered

Whether a petitioner who is a private businessman, without disclosing any specific connection to the farmers, has locus standi to file a public‑interest litigation seeking regularisation of tube‑well electricity connections.

Subjects

public interest litigation
standing
locus standi
farmers
tube‑well connections
electricity regularisation
procedural law

Judgment

                                                  HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
                                                  PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION (PIL) No. - 1174 of 2026

                                    Amit Kumar Singh
                                                                                                .....Petitioner(s)
                                                                        Versus

                                    State of U.P. and 5 others
                                                                                              .....Respondent(s)

                                    Counsel for Petitioner(s)        : Shivam Singh, Vikram Shah Sisodia
                                    Counsel for Respondent(s)        : A.K. Goyal (A.C.S.C.), Krishna
                                                                       Agarwal, Mukesh Kumar Singh

                                    Chief Justice's Court
                                                      HON'BLE ARUN BHANSALI, CHIEF JUSTICE
                                                      HON'BLE KSHITIJ SHAILENDRA, J.

                                    1. This petition, purportedly in public interest, has been filed by the
                                    petitioner seeking a direction to the respondents to grant the tube-well
                                    connections to the farmers and regularize their private tube-well
                                    connections as per Government Scheme and Guidelines dated 06.12.2018.

                                    2. The plea raised is that the farmers are taking electricity through illegal
                                    means, which should be regularized in terms of Government Scheme.

                                    3. A perusal of the petition indicates that the petitioner is a businessman
                                    and nowhere in the petition, he has indicated his credentials as to how the
                                    petitioner comes into picture seeking relief for the farmers, except for an
                                    assertion that he is a law abiding person and was filing the petition in
                                    interest of public at large.

                                    4. Filing of petitions in the nature of PIL, without disclosing credentials
                                    connecting the petitioner to the subject matter, cannot be entertained, the
                                    same is, therefore, dismissed.



                                                                   (Kshitij Shailendra,J.) (Arun Bhansali,CJ.)
                                    May 6, 2026
                                    Mukesh Pal/Jyotsana




Digitally signed by :-
MUKESH PAL
High Court of Judicature at Allahabad

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