The Odisha High Court on Thursday slapped a fine of Rs10,000 on Titlagarh BJD MlA Tukuni Sahu for failing to respond in time to a notice of the High Court arising out of an election petition.
A single-judge Bench of Justice Biswanath Rath imposed the fine on the first-time ruling party MlA when she did not file her counters in response to a petition filed by Congress leader and former MlA Surendra Singh Bhoi. Singh Bhoi has challenged Sahu’s election stating that the process of election and counting of votes in the Titlagarh Assembly constituency in April this year were not undertaken properly. Polling 57,836 votes, Singh Bhoi had lost to Sahu by a margin of 14,022 votes in a 12-cornered contest. Singh Bhoi challenged the election of Sahu in a petition in July this year and Sahu was initially asked to file her counters by August 26. Subsequently, two extensions were granted to her to file counters.
Slapping the fine on the MlA, the High Court posted the matter to be heard again on November 14 and asked the MlA to file her counters before that day. Election petitions pertaining to the Jeypore, Bijepur, Brahmagiri, laxmipur and Soro Assembly constituencies and the Nabarangpur lok Sabha seat were also taken by two other single-judge Benches of the High Court on the day.
