Representation of the People Act

The Supreme Court revived Congress leader Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury's election petition against BJP MP Kripanath Mallah, ruling that notary and attestation defects cannot trigger threshold dismissal under Section 86 of the RP Act.

Kerala MLA and former minister Antony Raju has been disqualified from the Assembly after a trial court convicted him in a decades old case of evidence tampering. The conviction and three year sentence triggered automatic disqualification under the Representation of the People Act, instantly vacating the Thiruvananthapuram seat and once again highlighting the strict link between criminal convictions and electoral eligibility in India.

Summary Case: Laxman Siddappa Naik v. Kattimani Chaniappa Jamappanna & Ors. Citation: 1968 AIR 929; 1968 SCR (2) 805 Date of Judgment: 19 January 1968 Bench: Hon'ble Justice M. Hidayatullah; Hon'ble Justice S.M. Sikri; Hon'ble Justice K.S. Hegde Advocates: S. S. Javali and M. Veerappa for the appellant; R. Gopalakrishnan for respondent no.1 Statutory Provisions / Instruments: Representation of the People Act, 1951 (s.116-A); Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 (as amended);...

The SC is re-examining the blanket ban on voting rights for undertrial prisoners under Section 62(5) of the RP Act. The PIL argues the ban violates the presumption of innocence and Article 14 by treating undertrials the same as convicted prisoners.

Karnataka HC dismisses petition challenging Siddaramaiah's Varuna election victory, upholding Congress' election promises as valid.

Supreme Court quashes FIR, calling it a "tool to wreak vengeance," emphasizing the need for timely, credible complaints in criminal cases.