Paid news case: Delhi HC reserves order on BJP MLA

The Delhi High Court, on Thursday, reserved the order on a plea filed by disqualified BJP legislator from Madhya Pradesh Narottam Mishra to vote in the presidential polls scheduled on July 17.

Justice Indermeet Kaur reserved the order after hearing the arguments for an entire day. The single bench was specially constituted to hear this plea after it was transferred to the Supreme Court to the High Court on Wednesday.

The plea challenged the Election Commission of India's order where Mishra was found guilty of paid news. The EC had charged and disqualified the MLA for three years for the same.

Appearing for Mishra, his counsel Dhruv Mehta contended that the decision was taken late and there was a delay in proceedings. He also said that there was no evidence produced to prove that his client had authorised the paid news articles.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, however, contended that the delay by EC in even issuing a show cause notice was because there was a stay by the Madhya Pradesh High Court on the proceedings in the poll panel for two years.
He also said that while such matters need to be decided expeditiously, there was no limitation on the time taken and therefore, the BJP leader could not claim delay as a ground for challenging the disqualification.

Mishra had moved the apex court challenging an order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court refusing an urgent hearing to his interim prayer to allow him to vote in the presidential election.