The Delhi High Court has intervened by halting the trial court’s summons to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal, who is accused of holding two voter IDs.
Justice Amit Bansal has issued a notice in response to Sunita Kejriwal’s petition and temporarily stayed the trial court’s order until the next hearing on February 1, 2024. The court ordered that notice be given [in the petition]. In the meanwhile, there shall be a stay on the impugned order until the next date of hearing.”
The issue arose when Metropolitan Magistrate Arjinder Kaur of Tis Hazari Courts summoned Kejriwal wife for November 18, alleging that she had enrolled herself in the voters’ list of two assembly constituencies, a violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The complaint was filed by BJP leader Harish Khurana. Senior Advocate Rebecca John represented Sunita Kejriwal in this case.
After considering the complainant and other witnesses’ testimony, the trial court found a prima facie case against Kejriwal wife for alleged offenses under Section 31 of the Representation of Peoples Act. The trial court’s order, dated August 29, stated, “Hence, the accused be summoned accordingly.”
The basis of Khurana’s complaint was that Sunita Kejriwal was registered as a voter in the electoral rolls of Sahibabad assembly constituency in Uttar Pradesh and the Chandni Chowk assembly constituency in Delhi, which is a violation of Section 17 of the RP Act, prohibiting a person from being registered in more than one constituency. Khurana asserted that Kejriwal should be punished under Section 31 of the RP Act for making false declarations.
Title: SUNITA KEJRIWAL v. STATE (NCT OF DELHI) AND ANR.
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