False affidavit case HC declares 2012 election in Moirang AC void
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 29 2016:
A judgement order passed by a single bench of High Court of Manipur today declared the election affidavit filed by M Prithiviraj, Parliamentary Secretary (Youth Affairs and Sports) as void.
It also proclaimed the election as void.
This was announced by Justice N Kotiswar in an open Court today at High Court of Manipur, Court Room No 3.The judgment was earlier kept reserved by the Court during the last hearing of the election petition case Number 1 of 2012 .
The judgment order mentioned that the election petition is allowed and the affidavit submitted by M Prithiviraj in the last State Assembly election is void.
The Court also rejected the prayer of the petitioner to allow him to be declared as MLA in place of Prithviraj as the election was a straight fight between the petitioner and the respondent.
The election petition case was filed by retired IAS officer P Saratchandra in 2012 against the MLA of Moirang AC, M Prithviraj, who is declared elected on Congress ticket in the last State Assembly election.
The election petition filed by P Saratchandra alleged that M Prithiviraj has submitted a fake educational certificate to the returning officer by wrongfully mentioning his educational qualification in the election affidavit.
The petitioner said that M Prithviraj mentioned that he is an MBA degree holder from Mysore University in his election affidavits in 2009 and State Assembly election in 2012.It was also complained in the petition that the official website of the State Legislative Assembly is till showing M Prithviraj educational qualification as MBA (Human Resource) .
Mysore University had confirmed that M Prithiviraj neither studied MBA nor got MBA degree from the varsity.
It may also be mentioned that P Saratchandra filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court after the case was adjourned in the High Court of Manipur for a long time.
The apex Court issued a notice to M Prithviraj returnable within four weeks last year and also directed the High Court of Manipur to dispose the election petition case within February this year.