Petition challenging the constitutional validity dismissed

New Delhi, July 17 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today dismissed a writ petition which challenged the constitutional valididity of Presidential elections, on the grounds that a similar case was dismissed by the Supreme court earlier and the petitioner had wasted the time of the court.

A bench headed by Justice Vikramajit Sen dismissed the petition and levelled a fine of Rs 25,000 on the petitioner for consuming the court's time.

Petitioner Ravi Ranjan Kumar, who himself wanted to contest the election, filed a petition in the court saying the rules of filing nomination papers were very rigid as an oridinary person cannot comply with them. Challenging the provisions of Section 5 of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election Act, the petitioner stated that the Act says the nominee of the President's post must have 50 proposers and 50 people should second the candidature, which was not possible for an oridinary man.

Additional Solicitor General P P Malhotra and lawyers Sidhrth Mridul and Sanjay katyal showed the court all the documents filed by the candidates which were within the norms and told the court that a similar petition was dismissed by the Supreme Court earlier.

The court then observed that the petitioner had not done his work well and wasted the court's time.

UNI