NEW DELHI: A Supreme Court bench, led by chief justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, came down heavily on the presiding officer of the Chandigarh mayor polls, over irregularities during the elections.
The Supreme Court bench came down heavily on the presiding officer, Anil Masih, accusing him of defacing ballot papers and mocking democratic processes.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
This observation from the Supreme Court bench came after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) approached the apex court alleging ‘cheating’ in the results of Chandigarh mayoral polls.
The Supreme Court directed the administration that all ballot papers and videos related to the Chandigarh mayoral polls must be handed over to the registrar of Punjab and Haryana high court.
CJI DY Chandrachud-led bench, which included justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, observed that the returning officer Anil Masih must be prosecuted as he was clearly seen defacing the ballot papers on video.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
“This is a mockery of democracy. RO is murdering democracy. We are simply appalled by what he is doing. Is this the way election is conducted by a RO? We will not allow democracy to be murdered this way. The man defaces ballots the moment he sees a cross at bottom,” Law Trend quoted CJI DY Chandrachud as saying.
The CJI said, “Tell your RO that the SC is watching over him. We will not allow democracy to be murdered like this. The only great stabilizing force in this country is the purity of the democracy.”