SC permits Shahabuddin to vote in Prez polls

New Delhi, July 18: The Supreme Court today permitted RJD MP from Siwan, Mohammed Shahabuddin to cast his vote in presidential election in Bihar Assembly, Patna tomorrow.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Justices R V Raveendran and Dalveer Bhandari directed the Election Commission to allow Shahabuddin who is facing several criminal cases and has also been convicted in two cases to cast his vote in police custody.

He will be taken from Siwan jail to Patna and after casting his vote he will be taken back to Siwan jail.

Former Union Minister Shibu Soren and another RJD MP Pappu Yadav have also been permitted to cast their votes in tomorrow's presidential elections by different high courts.

The Supreme Court, however, kept pending a petition seeking directions to the Election Commission not to permit MPs and MLAs who are in jail to cast their votes in presidential and vice-presidential elections filed by an advocate Z K Faizan.

The court, however, refused to pass any interim order saying that MPs and MLAs form part of the electoral college as representatives of the people for presidential and vice-presidential elections and their right to vote cannot be curtailed.

UNI