Trial to determine Supriya Sule's "allegiance" begins
The trial against Lok Sabha MP from Baramati and daughter of NCP chief Sharad Pawar Supriya Sule to determine whether she owes allegiance to a foreign country, commenced today before the Bombay High Court.
Justice J H Bhatia today started the trial by recording the evidence of Mrinalini Kakade, who had filed the election petition challenging Sule's election in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls on the ground that Sule owed adherence and allegiance to Singapore where she purchased property and had investments along with her husband.
Seeking that Sule's election be declared null and void, the petition contended that she was a non-Indian as she had acquired citizenship of Singapore by buying property there. Kakade was defeated by Sule in Baramati in the elections.
The trial began after Justice Bhatia rejected Sule's application seeking dismissal of Kakade's election petition. Kakade during cross-examination by Sule's advocate Mohan Jaykar, however, told the court that she has no documentary evidence to show that Sule personally owned immovable properties in a foreign country.
Kakade said she had proof to show that Sule's husband Sadanand owned properties. The court will continue the trial tomorrow.
In an order on September 24, 2010, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had held that Sule was an Indian citizen and there was no law in Singapore which conferred automatic citizenship on purchase of property. Based on this order, Sule had sought dismissal of the petition.
Justice Bhatia while rejecting Sule's application on December 12, 2011, said that the Central government had only decided on the issue that Sule is an Indian citizen and not acquired citizenship of Singapore. It had, however, not decided whether she owes adherence or allegiance to a foreign country.
