Any Indian resident can submit a Public Interest Litigation, but the only condition is that it must not be filed with a private interest but in the greater public interest. PIL can be filed in the Supreme Court and High Courts by invoking their writ jurisdiction under Article 32 and Article 226 respectively. Careless PIL activists across the nation have begun to play a non-constructive role in the area of litigation. The PIL is being misused by the individuals agitating for private complaints in the garb of public interest as well as seeking publicity rather than espousing the public cause. But some people have started using PIL as a tool in order to register false cases to harass people. It is used by people to settle personal vendetta, business scores, and political points. The misuse of PIL will stop when the courts are vigilant and the challenge is for the state to achieve a balance in allowing legitimate PIL cases and discouraging waggish ones.
