Cash for votes: Stalin writes to ECI

DMK chief and leader of opposition M K Stalin on Wednesday petitioned Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora urging him to file a special leave petition before the Supreme Court against the March 13, 2018 order of the Madras High Court which quashed the FIR in ‘cash for votes’ case related to the RK Nagar bypoll.

“Stalin also urged the CEC to direct the ECI to pursue the matter diligently and file a petition before the same judge if not with SC, seeking the recall of the order in criminal original petition number 26903 of 2017 in the case.

In his petition submitted to the ECI by party Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi, Stalin said the single judge order quashing the FIR of Abhiramapuram police has been “obtained by fraud and suppression of material facts including the orders of the division bench of Madras High Court.”

Stalin also urged Arora to order a CBI investigation into the tampering of the April 21, 2017 complaint given by the Returning Officer to probe into the role of ECI officials including District Electoral Officer and the top Police officials and all other officials involved.

Stalin also wanted the CBI probe to look into tampering of evidence, burking of the IT Department’s report and collusive proceedings in criminal original petition number 26903 of 2017. He also sought an investigation in to the original offences made out in the report of the Income Tax Department dated April 8, 2017.

Stating that the institutional integrity of the ECI is at stake, Stalin said: “The manner in which the ECI reacts to this unprecedented and odious situation will determine how the public view the ECI in the future.”

“Today we are at a stage where despite the report of the Income Tax Department, your own order accepting that there was large scale bribery of voters leading to rescinding of the election, there is not even a FIR to investigate into this crime. This exposes the hollowness in the functioning of Election Commission of India,” he added.