Madras HC allows submission of evidence amid claim

Madurai: The Madras High Court bench here Wednesday allowed a petitioner, who had lost elections for the post of Sedapatti Panchayat Union Vice chairman, to submit videotaped evidence, supporting his claim that he had lost the election due to violence while counting.

The videotape was played in the Open court hall of Justice S Tamilvanan by counsel for petitioner M Srinivasan, who was a councillor. Srinivasan submitted that he had contested against Ward 8 councillor Shanthakumari.The election was held on November 30 last year. On the same day, the votes polled were counted and the counting process was viodegraphed. Srinivasan contended that of the 18 votes polled,10 were in his favour and Shanthakumari secured seven votes. One vote was declared invalid.But Shanthakumari refused to accept the results and picked up a quarrel during which she allegedly tore the ballot papers in the presence of other councillors. Subsequently, the election process was called off by the presiding officer. Then a criminal complaint was filed against Shanthakumari at the Sedapatti Police Station. Srinivasan prayed that the court declare him elected to the post of Vice Chairman in view of the violence. Justice Tamilvanan allowed the videotapes to be played in the court hall in the presence of lawyers and mediapersons. Later,the videotape was sealed and kept in the court’s custody. The case has been adjourned to December 14. PTI