HC refuses ‘interim relief’ to Madhya Pradesh minister

Gwalior, June 30 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday refused to give interim relief to Water and Irrigation Minister Narottam Mishra, accused of not disclosing the expenditure he had incurred on paid news.

The court has adjourned the matter for further hearing on July 5.

Mishra moved the High Court challenging the Election Commission (EC) order dated June 24.

The EC has disqualified Mishra for not disclosing the expenditure he had incurred on the paid news that was carried in the media during the 2008 assembly elections.

The EC had also ruled that Mishra would remain disqualified from contesting elections for three years and said it was concerned about the "menace of paid news" which has been assuming "alarming proportions" in the electoral landscape.

The complaint was filed in 2009 by Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti, who contested against Mishra from Datia constituency, alleging that the minister had not included expenses incurred by him on "paid news" while filing his expenditure statement after the election.

Bharti's counsel Prateet Bisauriya told IANS that his client has requested the High Court to hear him before delivering any order on Mishra's plea.

"The Election Commission's counsel on Friday sought more time from the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The court granted him time to file reply on the minister's plea and listed the matter for July 5 for further hearing," advocate Bisauriya said.

The counsel also said that the court has refused to stay the EC order and provide any interim relief to the minister.

Earlier, Mishra had approached the Supreme Court seeking relief from the EC order but the Apex Court asked him to approach the Madhya Pradesh High Court.