SC stays HC proceedings in Sidhu’s election petition

The Supreme Court has stayed proceedings of the onoing case in the Punjab and Haryana high court in which the election of BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu from Amritsar in 2009 has been challenged. Sanjeev Verma reports.

The Supreme Court has stayed proceedings of the onoing case in the Punjab and Haryana high court in which the election of BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu from Amritsar in 2009 has been challenged.

HT Image

The bench comprising justice Altamas Kabir and justice Cyriac Joseph also issued notices to the 13 repondents including Om Prakash Soni, who had contested against Sidhu in the elections and had challenged the elections in the high court.

Sidhu had moved the Supreme Court in a special leave petition (SLP) challenging the Punjab and Haryana high court orders dated December 6, 2010.

In its orders dated December 6, 2010 the high court had partly allowed the application filed by Soni challenging the elections.

Arguing for Sidhu, advocate AS Grewal submitted that the petition filed by Soni was entirely frivolous and did not disclose the material facts in support thereof so that it should be put to trial.

The bench was also informed that high court’s order was in disregard of the factual position as existing on record as well as in disregard of the various judgements of this court and the same deserved to be set aside.

It was submitted that Sidhu had contested the Lok Sabha election from Amritsar constituency, held on May 13, 2009 and result was declared on May 16, 2009 in which Sidhu stood elected.

The bench was informed that on entirely frivolous allegations, Soni had filed the election petition on June 29, 2009. Soni had raised three baseless allegations with regard to violation of expenditure stipulation of Rs 25 lakhs.

Soni had also alleged that Sidhu had got 11 officers of his choice transferred / posted including deputy commissioner-cum-returning officer at Amritsar.