HC dismisses plea to countermand Erode by-poll

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed for a direction to stall the Erode East by-election till constituting a committee consisting of a retired High Court Judge, IAS officers from other States, officers of the Enforcement Department, and CBI officers to monitor the investigation of "election-related offenses and probe into the irregularities of Erode East constituency by-election."

Heading the first division bench along with Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, Acting Chief Justice, T Raja, dismissed the petition filed by V Eswaran of Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam.

The judges rejected the petition on the ground that they had already disposed of another petition which was filed by the AIADMK leader C Ve Shanmugam for a direction to ensure free and fair by-poll in the Erode East constituency.

The petitioner submitted that it seems that there was a complaint that the candidate fielded on behalf of the ruling party spent more than the permitted amount but the calmness of the election commission unnerved the persons like him over the idea of democracy.

"The Election Commission did not come forward to appoint the committee of experts to monitor the investigation and probe the irregularities relating to the election for Erode East Assembly Constituency. If the election is conducted without appointing the committee, it will be a mockery of democracy," Eswaran said in his affidavit.