Probe report indicted MLA, High Court told

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 16

An inquiry report has indicted Talwandi Sabo MLA Baljinder Kaur for making a “false statement before the competent authorities,” a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court was told today.

Taking a note of the assertions and after going through the report, the High Court has directed the Election Commission of India to file a status report on the proceedings, if any, pending before it on a complaint against Baljinder Kaur.

“Let intimation of the next date of hearing be sent to the counsel representing the ECI. He shall appraise the Court about the status of proceedings, if any, pending before the commission,” the Bench of Justice Rajan Gupta and Justice Manjari Nehru Kaul asserted.

The directions came on a petition filed before the High Court by Harmilap Singh Grewal against the ECI and other respondents. Challenging her election, the petitioner contended the complaint was filed by him alleging that the now MLA had made a false statement before the electoral registration officer. Referring to the report, the petitioner submitted that the representation was considered by the officer and he forwarded the matter to the district election officer for further action.

The Bench observed that the operative part of the inquiry report, among other things, said: “After consideration of the circumstances and scrutiny of the documents submitted, the undersigned is of the opinion that as per record both the votes i.e. vote made on enumeration form and as well as vote made vide Form no. 6 are of the same voter i.e. Baljinder Kaur and, thus, it is clear from the above that Baljinder Kaur has deliberately made a false statement before the competent authorities.”