Manohar Lal Sharma

Manohar Lal Sharma was a Supreme Court advocate, popular among Indian lawyers and known for filing many public interest litigations in India.

Career Starting with a public interest litigation in 1991 against provisions of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, Sharma has litigated a number of issues in Indian courts that have attracted media attention.

He had filed the first petition before the Supreme Court about the Indian coal allocation scam. He was also the first to challenge the government's decision to abrogate Article 370 of Indian Constitution. That same year, he filed a PIL against the nomination of Pratibha Patil as president on grounds of financial impropriety, which was dismissed at the admissions stage. He also challenged the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) margin rule application and filed a case seeking a judicial committee to probe allegations against former Chief Justice of India Y. K. Sabharwal in the Delhi sealing cases; both were dismissed at admission.

Other dismissed petitions include a December 2015 case claiming the CIA was funding the Aam Aadmi Party, a 2011 petition seeking regulation of NGO finances, and a 2017 challenge to the Indus Waters Treaty. In 2021, he filed a petition seeking a probe into the Pegasus spyware issue. Sharma claimed the gang rape was "planned by her boyfriend to gain political mileage."

Notice by Court

In May 2015, Supreme Court issued a notice to Sharma to show cause “why he should not be debarred from filing and/or canvassing any Public Interest Litigation on account of the irresponsible and scandalous allegations levelled by him” in his pleadings challenging the NJAC. In response, Sharma tendered an unconditional apology to the Court.

Contempt notice over false averments On 18 November 2022, Supreme Court of India issued contempt notice to Sharma for allegedly attributing motives to Madhya Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Ravi Malimath in their petition challenging the High Court verdict.