SC tells Delhi HC to hear MP minister's plea against disqualification

New Delhi, July 12: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Delhi High Court’s acting Chief Justice to set up a bench for hearing the plea of Madhya Pradesh minister rottam Mishra, challenging his disqualification by the Election Commission. The Commission had on June 23 disqualified Mishra for not disclosing expenses he incurred on paid news in his election expenditure returns and debarred him from contesting elections for three years.
The bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud directed Mishra and complaint Rajender Bharti to approach the Delhi Chief Justice on Wednesday itself for setting up of the bench. The apex court also directed immediate hearing of the matter starting from Thursday, so as to decide the case before July 17 — the day for polling to elect a new President to succeed outgoing incumbent Prab Mukherjee.
The order said that, if required, the hearing would continue even on the weekend. Mishra had moved the Madhya Pradesh High Court challenging the EC order but did not get any interim relief and the matter is still pending before it.
Contesting the Election Commission order on different counts, senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Minister, had sought an urgent hearing of the plea either by the high court or the apex court itself, so that he could participate in the polling for presidential election.
Rohatgi told the bench that rottam is Parliamentary Affairs Minister and the assembly session is starting from July 17 and the voting for the Presidential election is also on the same day. But as he urged the court to stay the poll panel’s order, Chief Justice Khehar said: “We can’t do, we will not do, we have not seen the order.” (IANS)