SC refuses to stay election case against DMK’s Kanimozhi
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the election proceedings, allegedly for failing to provide information, against DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, initiated at the instance of an individual voter in the Madras High Court.
A Bench, headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and Surya Kant, issued notice on Kanimozhi’s appeal, but refused to stay the proceedings challenging her election to the Lok Sabha from the Thoothukudi constituency, Tamil Nadu.
The election petition was filed by Sanathana Kumar before the Madras High Court.
The high court had rejected Kanimozhi’s plea seeking dismissal of two election petitions filed separately — one by a voter and the other by a BJP leader — stating that the petition should reach its logical conclusion.
The petitioner alleged that Kanimozhi didn’t mention the PAN (permanent account number) of her husband while stating family assets in her election affidavit. Kanimozhi countered that her husband is an NRI living in Singapore and he neither possessed a PAN card nor did he pay any income tax in India.
Kanimozhi had defeated BJP’s Tamilisai Soundararajan, now the Governor of Telangana. Tamilisai withdrew the plea after becoming the Governor.
Muthuramalingam, a local BJP leader, has substituted Tamilisai as a party in the matter. The high court observed that the petitioner must be given a chance to gather evidence supporting his claim of improper acceptance of nomination.
