Sidhu fined for delaying matters in petition

The Supreme Court has imposed a fine of Rs 500 on Amritsar member of parliament (MP) Navjot Singh Sidhu for not getting the ‘services’ completed pertaining to one of the respondents in an election petition, which is pending before the apex court.

The Supreme Court has imposed a fine of Rs 500 on Amritsar member of parliament (MP) Navjot Singh Sidhu for not getting the ‘services’ completed pertaining to one of the respondents in an election petition, which is pending before the apex court.

The petition challenging the election of Sidhu from the Amritsar parliamentary constituency in 2009 was filed by OP Soni of the Congress who had lost to Sidhu, the BJP candidate. The petition was filed in the Punjab and Haryana high court in 2009.

In the petition, Soni had claimed that the expenditure incurred by Sidhu far exceeded the amount mentioned by him in the returns submitted to the Election Commission (EC). Sidhu had moved an application in the high court against the petition. However, the court after hearing arguments admitted the petition and dismissed his application.

When proceedings on recording evidence were to start, the counsel for the BJP MP challenged the high court order in the apex court in October 2011. As a result the proceedings in the lower court got stayed and the hearings in the case then commenced in the apex court with the counsel for the defeated Congress candidate contesting the application moved by the MP.

In its order passed on August 6, the Supreme Court has directed Sidhu to deposit the amount of Rs 500 with the court’s Legal Services Committee for delaying matters by not getting the necessary services pertaining to one of the respondents completed.

After hearing the counsel for Sidhu, the court in its order stated, “the counsel for the petitioner (Sidhu) was granted the last opportunity for taking steps against respondent No 5 (as mentioned in original petition). However, the necessary steps were not taken even now. I am inclined to grant one more opportunity on the condition that he (Sidhu) deposits Rs 500 in the SC Legal Services Committee within two weeks and then files proof. Else, the matter will be placed before the judge without any further order.” The matter will now come up for hearing on August 30.