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SC bars tainted MLAs from contesting poll

     New Delhi: Insignificant order ahead of the elections in Bihar and Haryana, the Supreme Court has ruled that an exception in the election law to allow continuance of an MLA even if convicted during his term could not be used to contest the next polls. This order, which would be a step forward to weed out criminals from politics, was delivered by a five-Judge constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice R C Lahoti, while allowing a petition filed by Ramesh Dalal challenging the election of Nafe Singh from Bahadurgarh in Haryana. Under Section 8(4) of Representation of the People Act, sitting MLAs and MPs, if convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment during their tenure as member of the Assembly or Parliament, were allowed to continue if their appeal against the order of conviction was pending with a higher court. However, as was noticed by the Court, many of these MLAs and MPs were using this exception to convince the Returning Officer, while filing nominations for the next election, that their conviction had been stayed under the exception clause and hence allowed to contenst the elections.

Siachen Case: Major Singh's sentence stayed (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: The Army was stayed from sentencing Major Surinder Singh, found guilty in the fake encounter case in Siachen by the Delhi High Court on Tuesday. Major Singh was found guilty in a court martial of faking encounters in Siachen Glacier. The Delhi court has issued notices to the Defence Ministry as well as the Army on a writ petition filed by Major Singh. "Getting a copy of the court martial proceedings is the right of Surinder Singh. Since he doesn't have it, the court has stayed the confirmation of the sentence," said Major Singh's lawyer, Major (Retd) R S Randhava. February 15 has been fixed as the next date of hearing by the court. The court martial had earlier said Major Singh would have to serve three years of rigorous imprisonment.

Cell phone jammers to be installed in Beur jail (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: The Government of Bihar told the Supreme Court that it is in the process of installing cell phone jammers in Patna's Beur jail. Government informed this to the court during the hearing of the bail petition of the Madhepura MP, Pappu Yadav. However, the apex court has reserved its order on Pappu's bail plea. Pappu won the Madhepura Lok Sabha seat during the by-elections. The Supreme Court will hear other matters regarding Pappu Yadav's case on January 18.