EC moves Supreme Court against "murder charges" comment by Madras HC
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has moved the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court's oral observations that the poll panel should be prosecuted for murder charges for being singularly responsible for the Covid-19 situation in the country.
In its plea, the ECI, a constitutional body, complained that a dangerous trend had started with the "uncalled for, blatantly disparaging and derogatory remarks", as a criminal complaint was filed against a Deputy Election Commissioner.
Maintaining that the remarks by the High Court had caused serious damage to its reputation, built over the years, the poll body claimed that people from places where no elections were held in the recent past, had pinned the blame for Covid-19 infections on the ECI.
A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah will consider the petition on Monday, May 3.
Notably, on April 30, the High Court had declined to entertain the ECI's plea against the oral observations and restraining the media from reporting such remarks.
The Madras HC bench presided by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee had on April 26 made the observations in question while hearing a matter related to Covid-19 protocols during the counting of votes.
“You are the only institution that is responsible for the situation today. No action against political parties taking rallies despite every order of the Court. Your Election Commission should be put up on murder charges probably," the bench had told the counsel.