Plea against Nitish rejected

New Delhi, March 19

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea seeking disqualification of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as an MLC on the ground that he had allegedly suppressed the fact from the poll panel that a murder case was pending against him.

The top court said a candidate is liable to disclose the pendency of a criminal case only after a court takes its cognisance and rejected the PIL filed by a lawyer, saying it lacked merit.

A Bench took note of the submission of the Chief Minister that he had revealed to the Election Commission the fact of pendency of the case in 2012 after the court took cognisance of it in 2009.

“The election rules say that he (Nitish Kumar) should declare it (pendency of criminal case) post cognisance of the case,” the Bench said, adding: “Having heard the counsel for parties, we do not find any merit and the petition is dismissed.”

The Chief Minister’s counsel informed the court that the trial in the case has been stayed by the Patna High Court and moreover, no illegality has been committed by Kumar. — PTI