Re-hearing of poll petition against Amarinder

Chandigarh, Feb 23 (UNI) The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted two weeks time to file the list of witnesses in the election petition against Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh which was now being re-heard on directions of the Supreme Court.

While ordering this, Justice Satish Kumar Mittal fixed March 8 for the hearing on the petition filed by Harkirat Singh, a voter and a member of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), against the election of Amarinder Singh from Patiala constituency during the February 2002 Vidhan Sabha elections.

The petitioner alleged that the respondent had resorted to corrupt practices including taking help from the state government officers to promote his poll prospects. In this connection, the name of Bharat Inder Singh Chahal, then a senior officer of the state public relations department and now media advisor to the chief minister, has also been mentioned.

This and allegedly excess expenditure incurred on the poll campaign constituted corrupt practices under the Peoples Representation Act, the petitioner's counsel had argued.

The petition had earlier been dismissed as non-maintainable by Justice Jasbir Singh of the High Court on November 3, 2004. But allowing the appeal against the High Court decision, the apex court remanded the same back to the high court for a fresh hearing.

UNI XC PDS VP0427