Cong leader moves SC seeking to restrain Centre from appointing new ECs
New Delhi (PTI): A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking to restrain the Centre from appointing new election commissioners as per a 2023 law, the provisions of which have been challenged in the apex court.
Two vacancies of election commissioners have arisen following the resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel and Anup Chandra Pandey's retirement.
The plea has been filed by Congress leader Jaya Thakur, who has challenged the provisions of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and terms of office) Act, 2023.
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In her application, Thakur informed the court that during the pendency of her plea, in which a notice was issued on January 12, "one member of Election Commission namely Arun Goel gave resignation on March 9, 2024, which has been accepted by the President".
"That petitioner most respectfully submitted that in view of facts that election for Lok Sabha Election 2024 may be announced shortly, therefore appointment of member of new election commissioners is required immediately, for that this court has given clear verdict in the case of 'Anoop Baranwal Versus Union of India' (March 2, 2023 verdict) about the appointment process...," the plea said.
"It is, therefore, most respectfully prayed that this Court may graciously be pleased to direct the respondents to immediately appoint the member election commission of India, as per verdict/judgments passed by this court in the case of Anoop Baranwal Versus Union of India...," it said.
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The plea sought a direction to "restrain the Respondents to not appoint the member as per Section 7 and 8 of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and terms of office) Act, 2023".
According to the new law, "Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a Selection Committee consisting of (a) the Prime Minister Chairperson; (b) the Leader of Opposition in the House of the People Member; (c) a Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister Member."
The opposition has accused the Modi government of having defied the Supreme Court by dropping the CJI from the selection panel.
In its March 2023 order, the Supreme Court had said the prime minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the CJI would pick the CEC and the ECs.
#WATCH | Petitioner Jaya Thakur says, "I have filed a petition that they should be restrained and the appointment of all Election Officers should be done in a transparent manner. Also, a committee should be formed which should have the Prime Minister, LoP and Chief Justice, so… https://t.co/vVEB05seYr pic.twitter.com/ETLxGKdIZk
— ANI (@ANI) March 11, 2024
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Body of Bihar Police personnel found hanging in barracks in Patna
Patna (PTI): The body of a Bihar Police personnel was found hanging from the ceiling of a room in his barracks here, a senior officer said on Sunday.
Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikeya Sharma said a havildar with Bihar State Armed Police-1, popularly known as "Gorkha battalion", died allegedly by suicide as he had been suffering from some ailment.
The deceased left behind "two suicide notes", one in Hindi and the other in his native language Nepali.
"From the suicide notes, it appears that Navraj Sunar, the deceased havildar, had been suffering from some ailment which had caused him much mental anguish and may have driven him to take the extreme step," the SSP said.
The body was being sent to the native village of the deceased in Nepal after a post-mortem examination, while further investigations were on, with forensic experts inspecting the site of the incident.
