The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its verdict on a petition seeking annulment of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ election to the state Assembly, PTI reported. The petitioner Satish Ukey alleged that Fadnavis did not disclose pending criminal cases against him while filing his nomination papers for the 2009 and 2014 Assembly elections, and thus violated the Representation of People’s Act, 1951.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose reserved the verdict after advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Vivek Tankha concluded their arguments.
Rohatgi, appearing for Fadnavis, contended that the chief minister did not commit any electoral offence under Section 125A of the Representation of People Act. However, Tankha who represented Ukey, said Fadnavis failed to disclose two cases against him in which charges were framed, Bar and Bench reported.
Ukey had moved the Supreme Court after his plea was dismissed by the Bombay High Court. He said that the chief minister was required to disclose all pending cases against him under Section 33A (1) of the Representation of People’s Act.
He alleged that in the election affidavit filed in 2014, Fadnavis had failed to disclose the pendency of two criminal cases against him. The two cases of alleged cheating and forgery were filed against Fadnavis in 1996 and 1998.
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