By IANS,

New Delhi : The Supreme Court Thursday threw out a public interest lawsuit demanding disclosure of assets of the superior courts' judges under the new transparency law.

A bench of Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice P. Sathasivam dismissed the lawsuit, terming it as "thoroughly misconceived".

The petition filed by the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) contended that superior courts' judges, including the chief justice of India, are public servants and they cannot deny information about their assets on the grounds that they are constitutional authorities.

PUCL president K.G. Kannabiran, in his petition, contended that even otherwise the Right to Information Act, 2005, does not grant any constitutional authority any immunity from disclosing information in public interest.

The petitioner contended that divulging such information would only ensure probity in public life and enhance the image of the judiciary.

The petitioner submitted that judicial independence does not give the judges the power to withhold information which may be required to be disclosed in public interest.