SC allows plea of Kanimozhi, quashes petition challenging her election from Thoothukudi constituency
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed an election petition challenging the election of DMK MP Kanimozhi from Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi constituency in 2019.
Kanimozhi had challenged a Madras High Court order which had refused to dismiss the petition against her.
"The election petition is dismissed. Appeal is allowed," a bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Bela M Trivedi said.
Kanimozhi's election was challenged by a voter, A Sanathana Kumar, on grounds that she failed to mention her husband's Permanent Account Number (PAN) in her election affidavit disclosing family assets.
The Madras High Court had earlier rejected the plea of Kanimozhi seeking dismissal of two election petitions filed by the voter and a BJP leader separately challenging her election to the Lok Sabha.
The election petition should necessarily be taken to its logical end, it had said.
While dismissing Kanimozhi's plea, the high court had said that the election petitioner must be given a chance to marshal evidence to prove his claim of improper acceptance of nomination.
The DMK leader had said her husband was an NRI living in Singapore and he neither possessed a PAN card nor did he pay income tax in India.
Kanimozhi had defeated her nearest rival Tamilisai Soundararajan (now Governor of Telangana) of the BJP.
Another plea challenging the election of Kanimozhi was filed by Soundararajan, who withdrew the plea after becoming the Governor of Telangana.
A Muthuramalingam, a local BJP leader, has substituted Soundararajan as a party in the high court.
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Businessman lured by FB friend, attacked for extortion in K'taka; 4 held
Madikeri (Karnataka) (PTI): Four people were arrested for allegedly assaulting, illegally confining and attempting to extort money from a 39-year-old businessman who was lured through a honeytrap set up on social media, police said on Monday.
The accused have been identified as Rachana, Malati, Darshan and Ravi.
Police said efforts are underway to nab the remaining suspects involved in the incident, which occurred on December 12 in Madikeri, the district headquarters of Kodagu.
According to the complaint, the victim, a resident of Maddur taluk in Mandya district, was befriended by a woman identified as Rachana through Facebook, who later sought financial assistance and received Rs 5,000 from him via PhonePe on November 28.
When he asked her to return the money, the woman allegedly asked him to travel to Mysuru or Kushalnagar, promising to meet him.
The police said the woman later called the victim to Madikeri on December 12 and took him to a house near the market area, where they spent some time and consumed alcohol in the evening.
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Later that night, citing an emergency, the woman left the house. After her departure, three men allegedly broke into the house and attacked the victim, assaulting him with a stick and the handle of a sword, causing injuries to his face, mouth, chest and leg, the FIR stated.
The complainant alleged that he was forcibly confined, stripped and a nude video of him was recorded. The accused also allegedly threatened him with a toy gun, demanding Rs 50 lakh and warning that the video would be uploaded on social media if the money was not paid.
Police said the victim was held captive and somehow managed to escape in the early hours of December 13. However, after he escaped, the accused allegedly attempted to kidnap him in an autorickshaw, an incident that was captured on CCTV cameras.
Based on his complaint at the Madikeri Town police station, a case was registered under Sections 310(2) (dacoity), 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, a senior police officer said.
“Four accused, including two women, have been arrested. Efforts are on to nab two more absconding accused. Further investigation is on,” he added.
