Berhampur mayor gets relief from HC

In a major relief for ruling BJD leader and former mayor of Berhampur Municipal Corporation K Madhavi, the Orissa High Court today decided to hear her plea challenging the verdict of the Ganjam district judge, which setting aside her election as a corporator of the civic body.

"As the high court has granted an interim stay on the operation of the lower court's verdict pending a complete hearing of her petition, K Madhavi will now continue to perform her duties as the mayor of Berhampur civic body as before," her counsel and senior advocate Manoj Kumar Mishra here on the day.

The Ganjam district judge had on February 13 annulled the election of Madhavi as a corporator of the civic body while disposing of an election petition filed by another former mayor Siba Shankar Das.

Consequently, Madhavi lost her mayoral post as she was no more a member of the civic body council.

Madhavi's election as a corporator was set aside by the lower court on the ground that she had filed a false affidavit pertaining to her marriages and erroneous mention of the name of her spouse.

It was also alleged that Madhavi, by misusing her official power, had grabbed land in Berhampur town.

Mishra told the high court that since there was a customary divorce of her first marriage that has been recognised by the law, the affidavit submitted during the time of her election was not false.

He also argued that the question of her second marriage was also not the plea before the lower court.

Taking the arguments under consideration, a single-judge bench of Justice C R Dash decided to hear the case in detail and accordingly stayed the operation of the impugned judgment passed by the lower court.