New Delhi: The Supreme Court yesterday said that the Election Commission was empowered to inquire into the allegation of paid news if the expenses for the same are not being reflected in the election return filed by the candidate.
The apex court bench of Justice Surinder Singh Nijjar and Justice Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla said this while dismissing a plea by former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan.
Having held that EC can inquire into the allegation, the court dismissed the plea by Chavan who had challenged the Delhi High Court order, holding that the commission can inquire into the allegations of paid news if same was not disclosed by the candidate in his election expanses returns.
The court said that EC will hold day to day hearing and decide the complaint in 45 days.
Chavan, in 2009 assembly election had won from Bhokar assembly seat in Nanded, by a margin of 1.25 lakh votes. His opponent, independent candidate Madhav Kinhalkar, filed a complaint with EC, accusing him of hiding expenses on a ‘paid’ supplement titled ‘Ashok Parva’ (The era of Ashok) in a leading Marathi daily.
Chavan and the daily’s management denied the allegation saying that the supplement was not a paid one.
EC probed into Kinhalkar’s allegations. Delhi High Court in 2010 declined Chavan’s plea seeking the stay of the Election Commission proceedings. He then moved the apex court in November 2011.
Meanwhile, helicopters, with a medical support team onboard, will be pressed into service during tomorrow’s polls in West Bengal’s Maoist-hit Junglemahal region, an Election Commission official said yesterday.
The commission has stepped up vigilance in the region, in a bid to ensure peaceful polls in the large forested stretches of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura districts. Besides choppers, as many as 10 satellite phones will be functional on polling day.
“Two choppers will be available for the three areas May 5-8,” Amit Ray Chaudhury, officer on special duty in the chief electoral officer’s office, told reporters here.
In addition, polling hours have been reduced in six assembly segments. As per standard protocols of the ministry of home affairs, bomb disposal squads, road opening party and anti-landmine vehicles will be deployed in the Maoist areas.
Sudhir Kumar Rakesh, special observer for West Bengal, said all measures are being taken to ensure free and fair polls.
As per the commission’s directive, central security forces deployment will be decided by special committees in consultation with candidates in the constituencies.
“The district magistrate, superintendent of police, general observer, police observer will prepare a primary list for the district which will be sent to the returning officer.
“The officer will meet the candidates who will prepare a ‘worry list’,” Chaudhury said.
The list would be analysed by district officials and forwarded to the state-level committee comprising the chief electoral officer, special observer and additional director general of police (law and order), he said.
In booths, where 100 percent central force cannot be provided, special care would be taken with the aid of micro-observer, videography, webcasting and digital cameras.
IANS
