The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the disqualification of two BJP MLAs in Goa - DR Mandrekar and RV Arlekar - for holding office of profit.
A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan dismissed their appeal against an order of the Bombay High Court, which had held that the two MLAs were holding office of profit as contemplated under Article 191 of the Constitution.
The High Court had in May 2005 held that BJP MLAs - Mandrekar and Arlekar - were holding office of profit at the time of their election to the state assembly in 2002.
Mandrekar was holding the post of Chairman of Goa Khadi and Village Industries Board while Arlekar was Chairman of Goa State Scheduled Caste and Other Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation Ltd.
Nationalist Congress Party MLAs Chandrakant Uttam Chodankar and Jose Phillips Domingo had sought disqualification of the BJP MLAs on the ground that they were holding office of profit at the time of filing their nomination papers.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had allowed the duo to sign as MLAs in the assembly register but they could not withdraw salary and exercise voting rights during pendency of their appeal.
Email Satya Prakash: satya.prakash@hindustantimes.com
