Key Points
- The Bombay High Court rejected Aakifahmed Dafedar’s appeal against the rejection of his nomination.
- His nomination was rejected because of incomplete documents.
- Dafedar submitted his nomination after the deadline, around 11:30 am on October 30.
- He didn’t include important details like his criminal record and financial information.
- The Election Commission opposed the plea, saying it could disrupt the election process.
- The court agreed with the Returning Officer’s decision and dismissed Dafedar’s petition.
Looma News
The Bombay High Court has dismissed Aakifahmed Dafedar’s petition, challenging the rejection of his nomination for the Bandra West seat in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Dafedar, who is the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) candidate, had his nomination rejected by the Returning Officer due to incomplete paperwork.
Justices Arif Doctor and Somsekhar Sundaresan heard the case and noted that a public notice was issued on October 22, which outlined the schedule for scrutinizing nominations. The scrutiny was set to begin at 11 am on October 30. However, Dafedar submitted his nomination papers around 11:30 am, which was after the deadline, leading to his nomination being rejected.
During the hearing, Advocate Akshay Shinde, who represented the Election Commission and the Returning Officer, argued that considering Dafedar’s petition at this stage could disrupt the election process, as the final list of candidates had already been published. The court agreed, stating that any further delay would negatively affect the election timeline.
The court also pointed out that Dafedar had failed to submit crucial details required by law, such as his criminal record and financial status. These are mandatory for all candidates. Dafedar’s legal team, led by advocates Imran Ansari and Sayed Ali Hasan, argued that many other candidates had faced similar rejections for missing paperwork.
The bench asked Shinde to provide an affidavit showing how many other candidates had their nominations rejected for similar reasons. However, Shinde requested more time to gather the information. The bench expressed frustration, stating that this data should have been ready earlier.
In the end, the court upheld the Returning Officer’s decision and dismissed Dafedar’s petition. The ruling underscores the importance of meeting election deadlines and submitting all required documents.
