Won’t defend order against Chavan: EC to High Court

During brief arguments before the court of Justice Suresh Kait, the EC stated that in a precedent, the HC held that quasi-judicial bodies, like the poll panel, should not be made a party in cases where decisions of such entities are challenged.

Chavan had earlier this week moved the court against the EC’s July 13 order, alleging that the panel had not followed the procedure laid out in the Representation of the People Act prior to giving its findings. He has also said that the expenses that he had allegedly not declared pertained to some advertisements that were released in October 2009 regarding a meeting that was to be held between the members of United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for Chavan and argued that the ex-CM did not know who had issued the advertisements. Chavan had won the 2009 assembly election from Bhokar in Maharashtra’s Nanded Lok Sabha constituency.

During the brief hearing, Sibal also argued that even the publishers of the advertisements had stated on affidavit before EC that Chavan had no knowledge about it.