New Delhi, September 18
The Supreme Court today took cognisance of yet another petition challenging the appointment of Election Commissioner Navin Chawala and issued notice to the Centre and the Election Commission with the direction that the fresh PIL would be heard with that filed earlier by BJP leader Jaswant Singh.

The fresh PIL was filed by Samajwadi Party MP Chandra Bhushan Singh in which he challenged Chawla’s appointment on alleged “impropriety” committed by him by receiving money from some Congress MPs from their MPLAD funds for two family trusts run by him.

The notice was also issued by a Bench of Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal, Mr Justice A.R. Lakshmanan and Mr Justice C.K. Thakker to Chawla as a respondent.

Seeking the removal of Chawla, the SP leader also sought to lay down the guidelines for appointment of Election Commissioners.

He accused Chawla of having close “proximity” with the Congress, which would affect impartiality of the commission, essentially a neutral body under constitutional scheme.

He has also raised the issue of EC being seized of several petitions referred to it by the President on office-of-profit and said when there were doubts on the appointment of one of the Election Commissioner, the decision on them would be questioned.

In view of this, the petitioner sought a direction to the EC that it should not proceed ahead to decide the petitions on office-of-profit till final decision in the case.

Chawla in his affidavit, filed earlier in reply to Jaswant Singh’s petition, had rebutted all charges and claimed that he had got prior approval from government for contributions from MPLAD funds by some MPs to the trusts, which were engaged in various social activities.

He had cited his working during the recent Assembly elections in close coordination with Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioner to uphold the impartiality of the commission as a constitutional body.