NEW DELHI: The Supreme Courtroom on Monday slammed Returning Officer Anil Masih for his position within the alleged defacement of poll papers through the Chandigarh mayoral election and mentioned that he ought to be prosecuted. The highest courtroom additionally proposed that outcomes for the Chandigarh mayoral polls be declared by counting the current poll papers, disregarding the marks made by Returning Officer Anil Masih as a substitute of holding recent elections.
Chandigarh Mayor ballot | Supreme Courtroom remarks that Anil Masih, returning officer in Chandigarh Mayor election, must be prosecuted as he was interfering with the election course of.
— ANI (@ANI) February 19, 2024
The highest courtroom, whereas listening to a petition on the alleged irregularities within the Chandigarh mayoral election, additionally expressed considerations over alleged horse-trading after the mayoral polls. “We’re deeply involved concerning the horse-trading which is happening…” the SC bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud mentioned.
The apex courtroom additionally directed the administration to offer safety to the judicial officer and safeguard the information. It additionally requested the HC registrar common to depute a judicial officer to deliver poll papers, and movies for its perusal on Tuesday.
Earlier through the listening to, the Supreme Courtroom grilled Masih over his conduct concerning his conduct through the controversial Mayoral elections in Chandigarh. Responding to the Supreme Courtroom, Masih admitted that he put an ‘X’ mark on eight poll papers. Masih mentioned that he was individually marking poll papers which had been defaced by the voters, in order that they would not get combined up.
On February 5, the bench of CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra heard a petition filed by the AAP candidate and slammed Masih for his conduct and directed him to clarify his conduct as presiding officer within the Chandigarh Mayor elections to the highest courtroom in individual in subsequent listening to. The CJI had known as what transpired in mayoral elections a “homicide of democracy”.
“It’s apparent that he defaced the poll papers. Is that this the way in which he conducts the elections? This can be a mockery of democracy. This can be a homicide of democracy. This man ought to be prosecuted! Inform him the Supreme Courtroom is watching him,” CJI Chandrachud mentioned whereas passing orders. The courtroom had expressed dismay over the movies that surfaced from the elections and requested why Masih was wanting on the CCTV digicam whereas counting poll papers.
The AAP and Congress have accused Masih of tampering with ballots to favour BJP candidate Manoj Sonkar. It’s alleged by the INDIA bloc candidate Kuldeep Kumar that Masih rejected eight votes as invalid whereas counting by forgery and BJP gained elections by fraud.
On January 30, Manoj Sonkar, the Mayor candidate from BJP was declared the Mayor after profitable 16 votes in opposition to the 12 votes obtained by the Congress-AAP candidate Kumar.
On February 18, simply at some point earlier than the following listening to within the Supreme Courtroom, the BJP candidate Manoj Sonkar resigned from the Mayor’s workplace. In one other key improvement earlier than the listening to, three Chandigarh AAP Councillors Gurcharan Kala, Punam Devi and Neha Musawat joined the BJP.
