SC notice to Raja Singh for hiding cases in affidavit

Hyderabad: The Supreme Court recently issued notices to Goshamahal legislator T. Raja Singh for concealing some criminal cases pending against him in his election affidavit.

The three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Justice U.U. Lalit, Justice S. Ravindra Bhat and Justice J.B. Pardiwala ordered Singh to file a counter petition before November 1. 

His TRS opponent in the 2018 Assembly elections Prem Singh Rathore filed the petition in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court decision to dismiss the petition on March 11.

Rathore had challenged Singh’s election stating that he had not disclosed information pertaining to the eight criminal cases pending against him in the election affidavit and urged the court to declare his election from Goshamahal as void.

However, the High Court pointed out that Singh had disclosed 43 crimes in the affidavit. Disclosing eight more crimes could not have impacted his entitlement to contest and be elected. Thus, it cannot be said that a material fact was suppressed, the High Court observed.

Challenging it, Rathore filed an appeal before the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the apex court gave liberty to Rathore to file the documents on which reliance would be placed at the time of hearing, within two weeks. The rejoinder should be filed by the opponent within a week, the bench said.