Local body row: HC dismisses BJP minority wing functionaries petition with Rs. 10,000 cost

The Madras High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition with a cost of Rs.10,000 moved by Bharathiya Janata Party’s minority wing national general secretary Syed Ibrahim alleging that he was restrained from doing campaigns in the Coimbatore city for his party candidates contesting the LB polls.

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D Bharathchakravarthy passed the orders on dismissing the plea by Ibrahim seeking directions to the election commission authorities and police to allow him to proceed with the campaigns for the civic polls.

However, the CJ came down heavily on the BJP office-bearer for not submitting the details sent by the authorities asking him not to involve in the campaign in certain areas which were identified as vulnerable.

“The petitioner has suppressed the fact that a communication has been sent by the authorities restraining him from making campaigns in vulnerable wards,” the bench observed.

The petitioner informed the HC that when he campaigned for his party candidates in the 92nd ward of Coimbatore City Corporation, police and others prevented him from proceeding with the poll campaign.

On recording submissions by either side, the HC dismissed Ibrahim’s petition directing him to pay the cost of Rs.10000 within 15 days to the Tamil Nadu Legal Services Authority.

In another case filed by Sathish Kumar, an independent candidate contesting in the 182nd ward of Chennai City Corporation, the first bench dismissed a plea with Rs.5000 cost for seeking direction to ensure the live streaming of civic election proceedings.

“The court had already passed such direction and the SEC filed a counter stating that it is to live stream the events of LB election proceedings. Therefore, the litigation is an unwanted one and we are dismissing it with the cost,” the CJ observed.