Sidhu to face trial for ‘wrongdoings’ in 2009 polls
Thursday, 27/10/2016
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
NEW DELHI: Former Bharatiya Janata Party MP Navjot Singh Sidhu will have to face trial for allegedly spending excess on media advertisements and facilitating transfer of a government officer who helped him in winning the 2009 Lok Sabha elections from Amritsar, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday.
A bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi, however, absolved Sidhu of the charges of excess spending for several public meetings. Although Sidhu’s term as the Lok Sabha MP is over, the former cricketer will still have to face the trial that will just be an academic exercise.
Sidhu will stand trial before the Punjab and Haryana High Court that took cognizance of an election petition filed by defeated Congress candidate Om Prakash Soni. The former lawmaker had challenged the HC order before SC on the ground Soni had failed to submit adequate material to support the charges.
Soni had accused Sidhu of incurring over `32 lakh on media advertisements, which was in excess of the prescribed limit of `25 lakh. Sidhu, on his part, said he spent `17 lakh on the same.
SC rejected the cricketer’s contention and said Soni had adduced adequate material before the court.
