Chandigarh mayoral polls: SC says Presiding Officer needs to be prosecuted

New Delhi: Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily on the Presiding Officer who held the Chandigarh Mayor elections.

The apex court was hearing AAP councillor's plea challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court order that refused to grant any interim relief to the party seeking fresh mayoral polls in Chandigarh after BJP won.

Senior advocate Abhishk Manu Singhvi was representing the Aam Aadmi Party.

After watching the video recording of the election proceedings, CJI D Y Chandrachud said, “It is obvious that he has defaced the ballot papers. He needs to be prosecuted. Why is he looking at the camera?”

CJI told the solicitor general Tushar Mehta that this is a mockery of democracy and murdering democracy. 

“We are appalled,” CJI added.

“Is this the behaviour of a returning officer? Wherever there is a cross mark at the bottom, he does not touch it and when it is at the top he alters it,” observed CJI.

“Please tell the returning officer that SC is watching him,” CJI told SG Mehta.

CJI ordered that the entire record of the Mayor election should be sequestered and be kept with P&H HC Registrar general and the ballots, and videography be preserved.

The apex court also directed that the ensuing meeting of the Chandigarh Corporation shall stand deferred.

"Let the papers be handed over to the HC registrar general by today 5 pm. List on the next Monday week," CJI said.