O n July 6, the Supreme Court dismissed a PIL alleging that former finance minister and the upa’s presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee had misused his office. But that hasn’t deterred Manohar Lal Sharma, the advocate who filed the petition, from considering filing another. In March, he’d been fined Rs 50,000 for a “frivolous” petition alleging conflict of interest on part of Chief Justice of India S.H. Kapadia in a tax case. Justice Alam, a judge in that case, had said, “The more we read (your plea), the more it hurts.”

Sharma is thinking of expanding the scope of his petition on Pranab and bringing it to the Delhi High Court. “Even if the petition is dismissed, at least the public will notice the issue I am raising,” says Sharma. He shouldn’t hope, going by his record. Last year, he unsuccessfully lobbed corruption charges on anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare, days before the 72-year-old went on a heavily televised hunger strike.