Delhi HC refuses to ask Election Commission to stay RK Nagar by-polls

The HC directed the commission to look into the representation given by the petitioner on December 7

On the eve of the R K Nagar by-poll in Tamil Nadu, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday declined to pass any order directing the Election Commission to put on hold the election.

Justice Indermeet Kaur also declined to pass any order directing a CBI probe into complaints and allegations of widespread corrupt practices in connection with the by-poll.

With the court refusing to "delve" into the matter as the by-election is scheduled for tomorrow, the petitioner withdrew his plea which was "dismissed as withdrawn".

The court, however, directed the commission to look into the representation given by the petitioner on December 7, alleging widespread corrupt practices in connection with the by-poll, and to dispose it of within four weeks.

The petitioner, J M Rafi, had sought directions to the EC to reconsider holding of the by-poll in R K Nagar on December 21 in view of the complaints of widespread corrupt practices in connection with the election.

In his plea filed through advocates Astha Tyagi and C Kannan, he had also asked for a CBI probe into the complaints.

Rafi, a member of some local religious group, had also sought directions to the poll panel to decide his representation of December 7.