Bengal EC tenders unconditional apology to Calcutta HC over panchayat poll violence

Kolkata : West Bengal State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha, on Monday, filed an affidavit tendering unconditional apology to the Calcutta High Court in a contempt of court rule issued against him on the massive violence during the panchayat polls in the state last year.

The contempt of court rule was issued against him by the Calcutta High Court acting on a petition filed by the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, accusing the State Election Commission of dishonouring the directives in ensuring free and fair civic body polls.

After Sinha’s affidavit was submitted on Monday at the Division Bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam, the Bench observed that it will first go through the details of the affidavit and then hear the matter again on February 23.

The rule against the State Election Commission was issued on October 13 last year and in November Sinha personally appeared at the Calcutta High Court following a directive from the court in the matter.

He was then asked to file his affidavit in this connection by December last year.

Finally on Monday, Sinha’s counsel submitted the affidavit on behalf of his client. When the Chief Justice enquired from Sinha’s counsel about the summary of the contents of the affidavit, the latter informed the court that an unconditional apology has been tendered in case there had been mistake on part of his client.