Sangma's plea needed regular hearing: Justice Chelameswar

Justice J Chelameswar of the Supreme Court, who had dissented with the majority order dismissing P A Sangma's plea against Pranab Mukherjee's election as President, on Wednesday said allegation of holding an office of profit by the senior Congress leader needed a regular and detailed hearing.

Justice Chelameswar's minority view was shared in the December 5 order by Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who had said Sangma's allegation that Mukherjee had held an office of profit as chairman of Kolkata's Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) can be resolved only on the basis of evidence presented by the parties.

The majority order by three-judge, however, had held that Sangma's plea has to be dismissed at the preliminary stage as it has no substance and does not deserve a full and regular hearing.

The majority judgement by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir had said it was convinced that Mukherjee was not holding any "office of profit" warranting his disqualification from contesting the Presidential election.

Justice Chelameswar, who had differed with the majority judgement, had said he will give the reasons for his view later.

He said whether Mukherjee was getting any pecuniary gain is a question of fact which ought to be decided only after ascertaining all the relevant facts which are obviously in the exclusive knowledge of either Mukherjee or the ISI.