Fadnavis gets SC notice for not declaring criminal cases, CM denies charge

Supreme Court on Thursday issued a notice to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on a petition seeking his disqualification as a legislator for allegedly not disclosing, in 2014 poll affidavit, two criminal cases pending against him. However, Fadnavis said that he did mention the cases in the affidavit.

The apex court issued a notice to Fadnavis, after hearing a plea filed by a social activist and advocate Satish Ukey, claiming that he had allegedly concealed the two criminal cases of cheating and defamation pending against him in the 2014 Maharashtra election affidavit.

Clarifying the stand against the plea, the Chief Minister Office stated, "The notice served today by SC is 'notice before admission' and details will be furnished by him," adding that "High Court had earlier dismissed this petition calling it meritless."

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph had sought a response from Fadnavis.

Earlier, the court of Judicial Magistrate in Nagpur dismissed Ukey's petition. Ukey then approached the sessions court, which directed the judicial magistrate to reconsider its verdict.

On this, Fadnavis moved to Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court to challenge the sessions court's verdict, which upheld the judicial magistrate's decision. It was then the social activist challenged the Bombay High Court's decision in the Supreme Court.