PRAYAGRAJ, Dec. 17 -- The Allahabad high court has converted a public interest litigation (PIL) filed in 2014 seeking restriction and regulation of acid sales in Uttar Pradesh into a suo motu proceeding after the original petitioner expressed his unwillingness to pursue the case further.

The order was passed after petitioner Anubhav Verma submitted that he did not wish to continue with the litigation. While allowing him to withdraw, a division bench of Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh and Justice Vivek Saran observed that the matter involved significant public interest and could not be closed solely on the petitioner's request.

In its December 9 order, the court said, "While we cannot judge the choice or motive of the original petitioner wh...