18 MLAs disqualification case: Third judge to hear pleas beginning today

The Supreme Court appointed third Judge, Justice M Sathyanarayanan of Madras High Court would commence hearing of the batch of petitions filed by 18 disqualified AIADMK rebel MLAs, from Monday.

When the cases were taken up for hearing on July 4, the third Judge, nominated by the Apex Court after a split verdict delivered by the First Bench on June 14, said he would hear the final arguments in the case from July 23 to 27. “I will take up the case for final hearing from July 23 to 27 as the lead item on the list every day at 10:30 am,” he had said.

It may be recalled that while Chief Justice Indira Banerjee had on June 14 upheld Speaker P Dhanapal’s decision to disqualify the dissident MLAs, Justice M Sundar disagreed to it. Till the third judge pronounces the verdict, no floor test would be conducted in the House and the stay on holding elections to 18 seats would continue in view of the split verdict.

Upholding the Speaker’s decision, Banerjee reiterated her stand that the court could not interfere with the decision of the Assembly Speaker and therefore the disqualification of the 18 rebel AIADMK MLAs would hold good.