India News | HC Seeks Stand of AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak on Plea Challenging His Election
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The Delhi High Court has sought the stand of AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak on a plea challenging his recent election as a lawmaker from the Rajinder Nagar Assembly constituency here in the June bye-polls on grounds of indulging in corrupt practices.
New Delhi, Sep 14 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has sought the stand of AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak on a plea challenging his recent election as a lawmaker from the Rajinder Nagar Assembly constituency here in the June bye-polls on grounds of indulging in corrupt practices.
The high court also directed Election Commission and Returning Officer to preserve his nomination papers and other related documents.
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Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani issued notice to Pathak on a plea by an elector from the constituency -- Ranjan Tewari -- who sought that the election be declared null and void on account of the AAP leader allegedly indulging in “corrupt practices”.
The petitioner argued that the MLA omitted to disclose in his nomination papers the existence of an FIR against him for the alleged commission of offences under the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act, which is in violation of the Representation of People Act.
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He further claimed that Pathak also held an 'office of profit' as a member of the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights at the time of election and should therefore be disqualified.
The court granted six weeks to the respondents to file their reply and said, “respondents Nos.1 (EC) and 2 (Returning Officer) are directed to preserve the nomination papers and other related documents relating to the bye-election in question, during the pendency of the present petition, without the requirement of preserving the EVMs, VVPATs or the paper audit trails.”
“Upon the petitioner taking steps, let notice be sent to the respondents by all permissible modes, for the returnable date,” the court said in a recent order.
The matter would be heard next on November 21.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)