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IRCTC Rabri Devi Scam: A new controversy has arisen in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on a demand of Rabri Devi. CBI clearly called it forum shopping i.e. an attempt to choose the desired court. This is the same strategy in the legal world, when a party looks for a court where the chances of a verdict being in its favor are higher. This trend prevalent in America has now become a big topic of debate in India too.
New Delhi. The trend of ‘form shopping’ is decades old in America. Often the defense side adopts such tactics to avoid the harsh attitude of the judge and get a verdict in its favor. Now this trend is fast becoming a topic of discussion in India also. In the case related to the IRCTC scam, such an argument was given by Rabri Devi in the Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi that the CBI immediately told the judge that Lalu Prasad’s family was trying to create pressure with the help of forum shopping. The big question is what is forum shopping? Let us tell you about it in detail.
‘This is form shopping’
A new twist came in Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court when former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, accused in the IRCTC scam, demanded the replacement of Special Judge Vishal Gogane. He filed a petition asking that the case be transferred to another court. It was said that the present bench seems to be inclined towards the prosecution and this is eroding their confidence. CBI argues that this is a strategy to change the court, and not on any legal basis. In legal circles it is also called bench hunting or forum shopping.
What is forum shopping?
The meaning of this word is very interesting in the world of law. This means when a party starts looking for a court for his own benefit. That is, filing the petition in the court where there is a greater possibility of the decision being in your favor. In India, this term is often used to try to choose the desired bench, but it is said to be most prevalent in America.
Under what circumstances does forum shopping take place?
According to legal experts, the reasons for this are simple but effective. This is done because the petitioner feels that by doing so the case gets disposed of quickly, the chances of getting bail are higher, the judge’s previous decisions have been in favor of the accused, the process is not so strict that the client suffers loss. In such high-profile cases, lawyers tell their clients, “Not here, we will go there…work will be done there.” And the same choice is called forum shopping i.e. choosing the platform for your benefit in the shop of courts.
