Petition filed against ex-MLA Henry
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, January 24 2022: Wangkhei MLA Yumkham Erabot, through his counsel advocate Longjam Birjit, has filed a petition to the Manipur Legislative Assembly secretary praying to ban ex-MLA Okram Henry, who has been disqualified from the membership of the House, from contesting the upcoming state assembly election.

The petition stated that the election of Okram Henry was declared null and void under Section 8A of Representation of People's Act 1951 and the Act clearly states that any person disqualified under the Act shall be barred from contesting election for a period of six years.

The Election Commission of India was supposed to take up necessary steps by registering a suo moto case but no such steps have been taken up so far.

Till date, Okram Henry has not been able to challenge the court's judgment while the Supreme Court had also rejected his appeal against the HC judgment, the petition pointed out, while requesting the assembly secretary to not only bar Okram Henry from contesting election under Section 8A of the RP Act but also to bar him from casting vote under Section 11A of the same Act.

Under Section 33A of RP Act 1951, a candidate should furnish his/her details correctly but Okram Henry did not mention his educational qualification, pending criminal case, names of his wife and children.

He is an under trial in a case under Special Judge NDPS Manipur.

He is also facing a criminal case under CJM Imphal West Court, the petition mentioned.

Mention may be made here that the High Court of Manipur in its judgment dated April 15, 2021, declared the membership of Okram Henry in the state assembly as null and void.

In the same judgment, the HC declared Y Erabot as the MLA of Wangkhei assembly constituency and the latter took oath as MLA on the April 21, 2021 .

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