New Delhi: In mounting trouble for Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain, Delhi High Court has sought his response on a plea by BJP leader SC Vats challenging his election to the Legislative Assembly.
The High Court notice to Satyendra Jain comes after BJP leader sought to place additional documents in relation to the ‘corrupt practices’ in former’s election in the Assembly polls.
Justice Mukta Gupta sought Satyendra Jain’s reply on the fresh application by Vats, seeking permission to place additional documents on records on the ground that the BJP leader was not having access to all the necessary documents earlier and has now got hands over them.
The court listed the plea for further hearing on February 24.
BJP leader SC Vats lost to Jain in the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections from Shakur Basti constituency. Following which, he challenged AAP leader’s election to the Legislative Assembly for allegedly involvement in “corrupt practices”. In his plea, the BJP leader demanded that Jain’s election be declared null and void.
The application, filed through advocate Sahil Ahuja, said the documents include details of WhatsApp groups and snapshots of Facebook account and Twitter web pages which are relevant for adjudication of the issues involved in the election petition.
The application was filed in a pending petition challenging Jain’s election in which the court had earlier issued notice and sought responses of the AAP leader, Returning Officer, Chief Election Officer and three other candidates who had contested for the same constituency.
The petition, which was filed in August 2020, demanded that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader”s election be declared as null and void and a re-election be done on the seat.
It has been alleged that Jain “bribed” voters of his constituency with “gifts”, like cameras, benches, air-conditioners and computers, to some societies there and therefore, prevented them from exercising their right to vote in a free and fair manner.