RK Nagar:EC asked to file reply to plea by defeated DMK

The Madras High Court on Friday directed the Election Commission of India to file its reply by December 18 on a plea by defeated DMK candidate Maruthu Ganesh seeking access to some documents on the RK Nagar bypoll submitted to the court in a sealed cover.

The matter relates to searches and seizure of documents by the Income Tax department at various places on April 7, 2017 in connection with bribing of voters, which led to the cancellation of the polls then.

On a direction by the Election Commission,the returning officer of the constituency lodged a police complaint on April 27, based on which an FIR was registered.

A batch of cases, including by advocate MP Vairakannan and Maruthu Ganesh, were filed seeking CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the constituency.

Marudu Ganesh contended that the authorities had filed before a bench several documents including the ECIs communication to the Director General of Income tax, and these were kept in sealed cover.

The ...