The Supreme Court Thursday stayed the Madras High Court proceedings on a petition challenging the election of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi from Thoothukudi constituency in Tamil Nadu.
A bench comprising Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant took note of the submissions of the DMK leader’s lawyer, senior advocate P. Wilson and Joseph Aristotle, who said the High Court erroneously banked on a petition which was at best “vague and without material facts”. The apex court stayed the ongoing proceedings before the Madras High Court.
Kanimozhi contested from the Thoothukudi constituency in 2019 and her election was challenged by a voter, A Sanathana Kumar, on the grounds that she failed to mention her husband’s Permanent Account Number (PAN) in her election affidavit disclosing family assets.
“The petitioner (Kanimozhi) has clearly mentioned that her spouse does not have a PAN number. If the first respondent (Kumar) herein contends that this statement is wrong, he ought to substantiate the allegation that the statement is incorrect. Without these averments, the bald and vague statement that petitioner has not provided her spouse’s PAN cannot be maintained in an election petition in light of several judgments of the Supreme Court,” the petition said.