SC reserves order on plea against election of Fadnavis

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved verdict on a plea seeking annulment of the election of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to the state Assembly over the alleged concealment of criminal cases against him in the election papers.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose reserved the verdict after senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Fadnavis, and Vivek Tankha, appearing for the petitioner, Satish Ukey, concluded their submissions.

Ukey moved the Supreme Court after his plea was dismissed by the Bombay High Court.

He alleged in his petition that Fadnavis, in his election affidavit filed in 2014, had failed to disclose the pendency of two criminal cases against him.

The two cases of alleged cheating and forgery were filed against Fadnavis in 1996 and 1998 but charges have not been framed.