JEET MOHINDER SINGH v. HARMINDER SINGH JASSI

Citation: [1999] SUPP. 4 S.C.R. 33; 1999 INSC 490

Court: Supreme Court of India

Bench: A.S. ANAND , S. RAJENDRA BABU, R.C. LAHOTI

Judgment date: 1999-10-26

Case summary

1999 INSC 490. Supreme Court of India judgment dated 1999-10-26. JEET MOHINDER SINGH v. HARMINDER SINGH JASSI. Read the judgment and case details on LawSphereX.

Judgment text

JEET MOHINDER SINGH v. HARMINDER SINGH JASS! OCTOBER 26, 1999 . ·-... [DR. A. S. ANAND, C. J. , S. RAJENDRA BABU AND R. C. LAHOTI, JJ. ] Representation of the People Act, 1951 : Election-Judicial review-Court's interference with-Held : The returned candidate's election should not be lightly interfered with-The serious consequences must be kept in mind while interfering with an election. Sections 83 and 123-Election-Election Trial-Corrupt practice- Nature of-Proof-Held : Charge of corrupt practice is quasi-criminal in character-Such a charge should be sufficiently clear and precisely stated-lt should be proved to the hilt by clear, cogent and credible evidence-Mere preponderance of probabilities not enough.

Sections 116 and 123-Election-Appea/-lnterference with-By appellate court-Justification of-Held : Opinion for111ed by the High Court should be given great value-Supreme Court will interfere only if the High Court has disregarded principles governing the approach to evidence or committed grave or palpable errors. Sections 81(3), 83 and 123-Election-Corrupt practice-Contents and form of-Verification Nature of-Explained-Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, R. 94-A and Form 25.

Election-Nomination-Illegal acceptance of-Allegation of Returning Officer having been specially brought by transfer on the eve of election at the instance of the returned candiqate (Ex-Minister)-Va/idity of-Held: Transfer and postings are ordinary incidents of service and are made to satisfy administrative exigencies of service-Merely because the government servant happens to be posted twice at the particular station within a short range of time does not lead to an interference that he has been "brought" to that station for a particular purpose-Service Law. Election-Election Trial-Burden of proof-Held : The onus of proving the averments made in the election petition lies on the election petitioner-It is for him to examine a witness to prove his case-He cannot bank upon the plea of non-examination of that witness by the returned candidate.

Sections 86, 87 and 123-Pleadings in Election-Election petition- Replication-Material facts and particulars not given in the election petition-- But stated for the first time in replication-Effect of-Held : Material facts and particulars are required to be given in the election petition itself and not for the first time in replication-Hence, non-consideration of the same while framing issues justified. Section 33(5)-Election~Electoral roll or copy thereof-Filing or production-Provision regarding-Held : Mandatory-Non-compliance of the provision will entail the rejection of the nomination paper, non-compliance being a defect of a substantial character. Section 33(5)~cope of-Held: Prescribes the manner of compliance when the candidate is an elector of a different constituency-Mode of proof- (i) By producing a copy of the electoral roll of that constituency-or (ii) A copy of relevant part thereof~!

(iii) A certified copy of the relevant entries in such roll-One of it may be produced at any time after filing of the nomination but before the time of scrutiny-The provision does not specify as to who should produce it~The Section prescribes only the earliest and the outer limits for producing the requisite document-It does not specifY that such document be produced only with the nomination paper or at the time of scrutiny-Returning Officer already in possession of the electoral roll of that other constituency, can look into it to satisfy himself that the candidate is an elector of that constituency. Section 36(6)-Election-Nomination paper-Accepting of-Held: Need not be supported by a reasoned order. Reasons in writing are required in case of rejection.

Election-Election Trial-Pleadings-Written Statement- Presence of persons-At the time of scrunity-Pleadings of-Held: who was present at the time of scrutiny of nomination paper is not required to be pleaded in the wrirten statement unless in the facts and circumstances of the case it may. be such a material fact as must be pleaded-There is nothing unnatural about the person who himself has filed his nomination paper being present at or around the office of the Returning Officer so as to learn what was transpiring thereat and what was the result of the scrutiny. J. M. SINGH v. H. S. JASS!

35 Section 123(1)-Cor;upt practice~Bribe~Returned candidate along with SHO distributed money and liquor to voters and threatened them with dire consequences if they did not cast their votes for him-Names of persons who allegedly gave money and liquor and those who were threatened not given-Allegations denied by SHO and the returned candidate-Opinion of •• election observer, an independent witness, based on his enquiry, demolished the case of the election petitioner-Held: Under these circumstances allegation of corrupt practice. of bribery not made out. Sections 77(3) and 123(6)-Corrupt practice-Expenditure-Jn excess of prescribed limit-Incurring of-False return of expenses-Filing of-Held, Positive allegations of the alleged expenses having been incurred between the date of nomination of the returned candidate and the date of declaration of the result must be made in the election petition-In the absence of such allegation S. 77(3) not attracted.

Section 77(1) Explanation-Election-Posters-Distributed generally in the interest of the political party and its candidates highlighting its achievements and those of its leadership-Held: The expenses incurred in such activities cannot be counted as the expenses incurred by the returned candidate. - Sections JOO(J)(b), JOO(J)(d)(ii), 100(2){a).

and 123(2)-Election- Corrupt practice-Undue influence-Beating of ladies and forcible removal ·offlags of a political party from their houses by supporters of the returned candidate-Such supporters not shown to be agents of the returned candidate-No material to infer that result of election was materially affected by beating of ladies-Held: Free consent of the returned candidate or his election agent in respect of undue influence must be specifically alleged and positively proved-Merely from the fact that one of the said supporters was later appointed as a counting agent of the returned candidate it cannot be inferred that the returned candidate was aware of the said incident and that he condoned the act of the said supporters by appointing one of them as his counting agent thereby owning responsibility of the violence committed by that supporter-There is no specific pleading or proof as to the alleged violence having been committed with the consent of the returned candidate or his election agent-Jn the circumstances of the case, the election petitioner .

failed in making out a case for setting aside the election of the returned candidate on the ground of corrupt practice. The appellant-defeated candidate filed an election petition before the High . Court challenging the election of the respondent-returned candidate (an ex- Minister) to the State Legislative Assembly, which was dismissed. Hence f 1is appeal On behalf of the appellant it was contended that the Returning Officer was specially brought by transfer on the eve of the election at the instance of the respondent; that the respondent who was an elector of a different constituency did not produce a copy of the electoral roll of that constituency under Section 33(5) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and, therefore, his nomination paper was illegally accepted; that the acceptance of ....

the nomination paper was not supported by a reasoned order; that the respondent along with the SHO distributed money and liquor to the voters and threatened them of dire consequences if they did not cast their votes to the respondent which amounted to a corrupt practice of bribery under Section 123(1) of the Act; that the respondent incurred expenditure in excess of that provided under Section 77 of the Act and thus committed corrupt practice under Sections 123(1) and 12(6) of the Act; that the supporters of the respondent had beaten two ladies and removed flags of the appellant's party from their houses which amounted to a corrupt practice of undue influence under Section 123(2); and that one of the said supporters was later appointed as a counting agent of the respondent. Dismissing the appeal, the Court HELD : 1.

The following are well-settled legal principles in the field of election jurisprudence: (i) The success of a candidate who has won at an election should not be lightly interfered with. Any petition seeking such interference must strictly conform to the requirements of the law. Though the purity of the election process has to be safeguarded and the court shall be vigilant to see that people ... do not get elected by flagrant breaches of law or by committing ;;orrupt practices, the setting aside of an election involves serious consequences not only for the returned candidate and the constituency, but also for the public at large inasmuch as re-election involves enormous load on the public funds. and administration. (63-F, G, H; 64-A) Jagan Nath v. Jaswant Singh, AIR, (1954) SC 210 and Gajanan Krishnaji Bapat v. Dattaji Raghobaji Meghe, [1995) 5 SCC 347, relied on. (ii) Charge of corrupt practice is quasi-criminal in character. If J. M. SINGH v. H. S.

JASSI 37 substantiated it leads not only to the setting aside of the election of the successful candidate, but also of his being disqualified to contest an election for a certain period. It may entail extinction of a person's public life and political career. A trial of an election petition though within the realm of civil law is akin to trial on a criminal charge. Two consequences follow. Firstly, the allegations relating to commission of a corrupt practice should be sufficiently clear and stated precisely so as to afford the person charged full opportunity of meeting the same. Secondly, the charges when put to issue should be proved by clear, cogent and credible evidence. To prove the charge of corrupt practice a mere preponderance of probabilities would not be enough. There would be a presumption of innocence available to the person charged. The charge shall have. to be proved to the hilt, the standard of proof being the same as in a criminal trial. {64-B, C, DJ Quamarul Islam v.

S. K Kanta, AIR (1994) SC 1733; F. A. Sapa v. Singora, AIR (1991) SC 1557; Manohar Joshi v. Damodar Tatyaba @ Dada Saheb Rupwati, (1991] 2 SCC 342 and Ram Singh v. Col. Ram Singh, AIR (1996) SC 3, relied on. ,. (iii) The appellate court attaches great value to the opinion formed by the Trial judge more so when the Trial Judge recording findings of fact is the same one who had recorded the evidence. The Appellate Court shall remember that the jurisdiction to try an election petition has been vasted in a Judge of the High Court. Secondly, the trial judge may have had the benefit of watching the demeanour of witnesses and forming first-hand opinion of them in the process of evaluation of evidence. The Supreme Court may re-assess the evidence and come to its own conclusions on feeling satisfied that in recording findings of fact the High Court has disregarded settled principles governing the approach to evidence or committed grave or palpable errors.

(64-E-, F, G) Gajanan Krishnaji Bapat v. Dattaji Raghobaji Meghe, [1996) 5 SCC 347 and Kripa Shankar Chatterji v. Gurudas Chatterjee, (1995) 5 SCC 1, relied on. (iv) Section 83 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 requires every election petition to contain a concise statement of the material facts on which the appellant relies. If the election petition alleges commission of corrupt practice at the election, the election petition shall set forth full particulars of any corrupt practice including as full a statement as possible " of the names ofthe parties alleged to have committed such corrupt practice and the date and place· of the commission of each such practice. Every election petition must be signed and verified by the appellant in the manner laid down for the verification of pleadings in the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.

An election petition alleging corrupt practice is required to be accompanied by an affidavit in Form 25 read with Rule 94-A of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961. Form 25 contemplates the various particula:-s as to the corrupt practices mentioned in the election petition being verified by the appellant separately under two headings: (i) which of such statements including particulars are true to appellant's own knowledge, and (ii) which of the statements including the particulars are true to information of the appellant. It has been held in Gajanan Krishnaji Bapat 's case that the election petitioner is also obliged to disclose his source of information in respect of the commission of the cor1rupt practice so as to bind him to the charge levelled by him and to prevent any fishing or roving enquiry, also to prevent the returned candidate from being taken by surprise. (64-H, 65-A, B, CJ Gajanan Krishna. ii Bapat v. Dattaji Raghobaji Meghe, [1995) 5 SCC 347, relied on. 2.

Transfers and postings are ordinary incidents of service and ordinarily any transfer or posting is presumed to have been made to satisfy the administrative exigencies of service. Merely because a government servant happens to be posted twice at a particular station within a short range of time, an inference as to his having been 'brought' to a particular station for a particular purpose cannot be drawn. The documentary evidence goes to show that the Chief Minister of the State had directed certain postings/ transfers of the officers. There were as many as 24 transfers and not that the Returning Officer alone was transferred for the purpose of being accommodated or posted to fulfil somebody's demand. (49-B, C, D) 3. Section 33(5) of the Act clearly lays down that a copy of the electoral roll of the respondent's constituency or a certified copy thereof has to be produced 'i:ierore the Returning Officer aUhe time of scrutiny. The provision is mandatory.

A failure to satisfy the requirement of this provision would 'entail the rejection of nomination paper, non-compliance being a defect of a substantial character. [51-B-C) 4. The onus of proving the averments made in the election petitfo1n did lie on the appellant. It was for the appellant to have examined a witness. If the J. M. SINGH v. H. S. JASSI 39 appellant has failed in discharging his own onus, he cannot bank upon the · plea of non-examination of a witness by the respondent which witness was essentially a witness to be examined by the appellant in the facts and circumstances of the case. The appellant cannot be permitted to derive strength from the weakness, if any, of the respondent. (57-A, BJ . " 5. On a plain reading of Section 36(6), it is clear that the Parliament has chosen to treat the case of acceptance of nomination paper differently from the case of rejection.

While a decision as to accepting or rejecting has to be endorsed on each nomination paper, the reasons are required to be recorded in writing by making a brief statement thereof only in the case of rejection of nomination paper. There was no non-compliance with the provisions of Section 36(6) merely because· the Returning Officer had simply endorsed acceptance on the respondent's nomination paper without recording in writing a brief statement of his reasons for such acceptance. (58-A, BJ '· 6. Who was present at the time of sc"rutiny of nomination papers is not required to be pleaded in the written statement unless in the facts and circumstances of the case it may be such a material fact as must be pleaded. There is noting unnatural about the person who himself had filed his nomination paper being present at or around the office of the Returning Officer so as to learn what was transpiring thereat and what was the result of the scrutiny. (58-G-H; 59-A) 7. 1.

Material facts and particulars as to commission of corrupt practice are required to be given in the election petition and not in the replication filed much after the expiry of period of limitation for filing election petition. The material facts and particular alleged for the first time in the replication and not forming part of the ave rm ents made in the election petition cannot be tried and cannot be made subject matter of issues framed by the Court for the following reasons:- (a) Firstly, the respondent does not have an opportunity of denying the averments-whether facts or particulars, introduced for the first time in replication. (b) Secondly, material facts and particulars as to corrupt practice are required to be supported by an affidavit in the prescribed proforma. The replication is not supported by any affidavit in the prescribed proforma. (67-G, H; 68-AI ) 7. 2.

The Designated Election Judge has rightly taken care to fn1me the • issues only by reference to the averments made in the election petition and not by referring to the averments made for the first time in the replication. (67-GJ 8. 1. On the language of Section 33(5) of the Act, it cannot be h1eld that the time of presentation of the certified copy is a constituent of the 'manner' of compliance. Where the candidate is an elector of a different constituency, Section 33(5) prescribes the 'manner' of proving the factum of the candidate being an elector of a different constituency in one of the three modes. (i) By producing a copy of the electoral roll of that constituency-()r (ii) A copy of relevant part thereof-()r (iii) A certified copy of the relevant entries in such roll. Any other mode of proof is excluded. So far as the time is concerned the earliest and outer limits of time are prescribed.

The requisite document has to be produced either with the nomination paper which is the earliest point of commencement of time limit or at the scrutiny of the nomination papers which is the outer limit. Section 33(5) does not specifically provide who shall 11roduce the requisite document before the Returning Officer. All that it provides for is that one of the three documents must be produced. (60-8-C-D) Ranjit Singh v. Pritam Singh, AIR (1966) SC 1626, followed. 8. 2. The object sought to be achieved by Section 33(5) is fulfilled if the requisite document is available before the Returning Officer at the time of scrutiny even if the same was not filed along with the nomination paper; meaning thereby the production of the requisite document subsequent to the filing of the nomination paper but before the time of scrutiny so ~as to be available before the Returning Officer at the time of scrutiny would meet the requirements of Section 33(5).

It would have been better if the do1mment required to be filed with the nomination paper and not so filed was produced before the Returning Officer at the time of scrutiny because in that case the production would have been in the presence of all those who might have chosen to remian present at the time of scrutiny and that would have avoided all such insinuations being hurled at the Returning Officer and/or the n:turned candidate as is being done in the case at hand. But that does not mean that the document made available to the Returning' Officer before the time of scrutiny cannot be looked into by him at the time of scrutiny for the purpose of satisfying himself of the compliance by a candidate with Section :13(5) of the Act. It is possible and permissible for the candidates to demand and inspect the nomination papers of their rivals and the Returning pfficer is under an x J. M. SINGH v. H. S. JASS! 41 obligation to enable them to do so.

Thus, there is no great sanctity in producing the Electoral Roll only at the time of scrutiny. [62-D, E, F, GI Parmar Himatsingh Jugatsingh v. Patel Harmanbhai Narubhai, AIR (1974) SC 951; Narbada Prasadv. Chhaganla/, AIR (1969) SC 395; Sri Babu Ram v. Smt Prasanni, (1959) SCR 1403; Rattan Amolsingh v. Atma Ram, (1955) 1 SCR 499 and Birad Mal Singhvi v. Anand Purohit, AIR, (1988) SC 1796, relied on. 8. 3. Further, the Returning Officer has deposed on oath that he had been supplied with the electoral roll of that other Constituency under the instructions of the Election Commission and that was available with him which could have been looked into for the purpose ofsatisfying himself whether the respondent was an elector of that Constituency or not. The Returning Officer was not obliged to call for the electoral roll of different constituency and meet the deficiency in the nomination paper.

But in the present case it was already available with him and as per his own statement he would have looked into it. The requirement of Section 33(5) would have been satisfied by looking into that electoral roll even if the disputed certified copy would not have been produced by the respondent. (62-H; 63-A, BJ Ranjit Singh v. Pritam Singh, AIR (1966) SC 1626, followed. 9. The allegations regarding distribution of money and liquor by the respondent along with the SHO and threatening the voters with dire consequences if they did not cast their votes for the respondent are denied by the respondent and the SHO. Moreover, the names of the persons who allegedly gave money and liquor and those who were threatened are not given. Further the opinion of the election observer, an independent witness, based on his enquiry, demolishes the case of the appellant. Therefore, allegations of corrupt practice of bribery within the meaning of Section 123(1) of the Act are not made out. (67-B.

C; D, E) 10. The appellant has not made a positive allegation of the alleged excess expenses having been incurred between the date of nomination of the respondent and the date of the result. In the absence of such positive allegation Section 77(3) of the Act will not be attracted. (72-H; 73-A) 11. The posters were distributed generally in the interest of the political party and its candidates highlighting the achievements of the political party and its leadership and, therefore, the expenses incurred in such activities , could not be counted as the expenses incurred by the respondent. (73-C-D] 12. 1. Under Sections IOO(l)(d)(ii) and 100(2)(a) of the Act any corrupt practice in order to vitiate the election of the returned candidate must be shown to have been committed either by the candidate or his election agent or by an agent other than his election agent in the interest of the returned candidate.

Further, it should be shown that the result of the election in so far as it concerns a returned candidate has been materially affected by the said corrupt practice. None of the supporters has been shown much less proved to be agents of the respondent. There is no material brought on record to infer '-the result of the election having been materially affected by the beating of the two ladies. The appellant has been rightly held by the Designated Election Judge to have failed in making out a case for setting aside the election of the respondent on the ground of the said corrupt practice involving the beating of the two ladies.

The mere fact that one of the said supporters was later appointed as a counting agent by the respondent does not lead to the inference that the respondent was in the knowledge of the incident, which had happened, and that he had condoned the act of that agent by appointing him as a counting agent and thereby owned the responsibility of the violence committed by that agent. [74-:E, F, G, H; 75-A, BJ Manohar Joshi v. Nitin Bhaurao Patil, [1996] l sec 169, relied on. 12. 2. The requisite consent of the returned candidate or his dection agent is a constituent part of the corrupt practices under Sections 123(3) and (3A) and in ingredient of the ground under Section lOO(l)(b). Such consent has to be pleaded and proved implied consent of the candidatf' cannot be read into the provision. Whenever the requirement is of consent, it must be free consent given by the giver of the consent of his own volition. It must be specifically alleged and positively proved.

In the case at hand there are neither such pleadings nor proof as to the alleged violence having been committed by the supporters with the consent of the returned candidate or of his election agent. (75-D-E] CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. 154 of 1999. From the Judgment and Order dated 18. 9. 98 of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in E. P. No. 9 of 1997. J. M. SINGH v. H. S. JASS! [R. C. LAHOTI, J. ] 43 1' RajinderSachhar, M. J. S. Sethi, S. K. Mehta, Dhruv Mehta, Fazlin Anam and Ms. Shobha for the Appellant. P. P. Rao, N. S. Gill, Mahesh Agrawala, Rishi Agrawala, Atul Shanna and E. C. Agrawala for the Respondent. The Judgment of the Court was delivered by R. C. LAHOTI, J.

This is an appeal under Section l 16A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 preferred by the appellant (petitioner \)> before the High Court) feeling aggrieved by the judgment of the learned ~~ Designated Election Judge of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, dismissing the election petition laying challenge to the election of the respondent. Legislative Assembly elections in the State of Punjab inclusive of'l09- Talwandi Sabo' Constituency, took place in the months of January and February, 1997 as per the election schedule announced by the Election Commission of India. The nomination papers were to be filed from 13 . 1. 1997 to 18. 1. 1997. The scrutiny of nomination papers was to take place on 21. 1. 1997 at l lA. M. The constituency was to go for polls on 7. 2. 1997. The counting -4> of votes was to take place on 9. 2. 1997. The respondent filed his nomination papers on 16. 1. 1997. The appellant filed his nomination papers on 18. 1. 1997. At the scrutiny held on 21. 1.

1997, the nomination papers of the appellant and the respondent both were accepted. There were four other candidates whose nomination papers were also accepted. In all. 92,586 votes were cast out of which 1226 votes were rejected as invalid. The appellant got 33,290 votes whereas the respondent got 36,483 votes. The respondent was declared elected by a margin of 3, 193 votes. Other candidates namely S/Shri Jagdeep Singh, Jaspal Singh, Surjit Singh Thekedar and Gurucharan Singh got 11463, 8088, 1906 and 133 votes respectively. The appellant was the official candidates ... of Shiromani Akali Dal. The returned candidate. i. e. , the respondent was official candidate of Indian National Congress. The other four were the candidates of BSP, Janta Dal and independents. . According to the appellant, the nomination paper filed by the respondent was invalid and therefore should have been rejected.

The respondent was - also guilty of various acts of commission and omission which amounted to corrupt practices within the meaning of Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (hereinafter the ACt, for short) and therefore his election was liable to be declared void and set aside. The learned Designated Election -J the High Court has found none of the allegations made by the Consequently, the election petition has been held liable to be dismissed. Here itself, it may be stated that though a number of corrupt practices were alleged as having been committed by the respondent in the election petition, however, at the time of hearing of the appeal, Shri Ra,jendra Sachhar, the learned counsel for the appellant has made his submissions only the corrupt practices which in his submission should have as having been committed by the respondent.

The main the submissions of the learned senior counsel for the appellant has illegal acceptance of the nomination papers of the regards which submissions have been made in very many the succeeding paragraphs, we will notice the pleadings confined to the submissions made before us at the time of hearing. The findings recorded on the following issues only are subject matter Whether the election of the respondent is liable to be declared void for the reasons enumerated by the petitioner in para No. 6(a) to 6(h) of the petition?........ OPA. Whether the returned candidate is guilty of corrupt practices of bribery within the provisions of Section 123(1) and also alleged undue influence under Section 123(2) of the Representation of People Act, as alleged in Paras Nos. 8(a) to (c) of the election petition? ....... OPA.

Whether the returned candidate has incurred expenditure excess than the authorised expenditure as provided under Section 77 of the Representation of People Act and thus allegedly committed corrupt practices within the purview of Section 123(1) and 123(6) of the Representation of People Act, as alleged in para No. IO(a) to (g) of the election petition? If so, to what effect? ..... OPA. Whether the returned candidate has committed corrupt practices of undue influence as defined under Section 123(2) of the Representation of People Act, as alleged in para No. I l(a) to (f) of the election petition? ....... OPA. Issue No. 12. Relief. J. M. SINGH v. H. S. JASS! [R. C. LAHOTI, J. ] 45 The pleadings relevant to these issues insofar as necessary for the purpose of deciding this appeal shall be suitably extracted and reproduced at their appropriate places hereinafter. We will take up for consideration and deal with the submissions made by learned counsel for the parties issue wise. Issue No.

I : As to whether the nomination paper of the respondent was illegally accepted? . According to the appellant, the returning officer Manvesh Singh was specially brought by transfer as the Sub Divisional Magistrate, Talwandi Sabo on 9th December, 1996 i. e. , on the eve of the election at the instance of the respondent. He was earlier also posted at Talwandi Sabo and had developed contacts with the returned candidate who was an influential Minister in the Congress Government having been a Minister of State for Co-operation. Before 9th December, 1996 the returning officer was posted at Bhatinda where his wife was also serving as lecturer in government college. The returning officer having been thus specially brought to Talwandi Sabo for favouring the respondent did oblige him by making false entries as to presentation of papers before him and thereby illegally accepted the nomination papers of the respondent which were otherwise liable to be rejected.

Undisputedly the respondent was not an elector of Talwandi Sabo Assembly Constituency. He was registered as an elector in the electoral roll of Pucca Kalan Assembly Constituency. As required by sub section (5) of Section 33 of the Act, the respondent was required to file alongwith the nomination paper a copy of the electoral roll of that Constituency (i. e. , Pucca Kalan Assembly Constituency) or of the relevant part thereof or a certified copy of the relevant entries in such roll which the respondent had not done at the time of presentation of the nomination paper on 16. 1. 1997. However, such a document though not filed alongwith the nomination paper, could be produced before the returning officer at the time of scrutiny. The election petition alleges that the returning officer conducted scrutiny of nomination papers at 1I A. M. on 21. 1. 1997. The appellant and some other candidates ..... i:vere present at the time of scrutiny in the office of the returning officer.

The respondent or his election agent or any other person on his behalf was not present at the time of scrutiny. The returning officer did not exhibit all the nomination papers at the time of scrutiny nor allowed inspection thereof. He only announced that all the nomination papers were accepted. lbe appellant's specific request for inspection of the nomination papers was not allowed by the returning officer who said that there. was no need of such inspection. The. averments made in the election petition as regards the illegal acceptance of the nomination papers of the respondent as set out in the election petition (the relevant parts thereof) are extracted and reproduced hereunder: Para 6 (f) That, in fact a certified copy of the electoral roll was applied for 4: · on January 21, 1997 in the office of the Deputy Commissioner, B'hatinda, who was the District Election Officer.

The Election Office is located near Railway Station, Bhatinda, in the old Tehsil Complex, whiich is at a distance of about 40 kilometres from Talwandi Sabo. After completing all the formalities and passing through various dealing hands, the copies were reported to have been delivered on January 21, 1997. This D' certified copy was then carried to Talwandi Sabo and handed over to the Returning Officer some time after the scrutiny was over, may be on the next day. The Returning Officer favoured the returned candidate and recorded the receipt time at 10. 00 A. M. on nomination papers. No copy could possibly be produced at 10. 00 A. M. when it had been applied for on January 21, 1997 at Bhatinda. This Hon'ble Court would appreciate that copy must have been obtained during usual office hours and following the usual procedure. Thereafter the distance of 40 kms, was covered from Bhatinda to Talwandi Sabo. The route also includes busy bazars of four kilometers with two railway crossings.

(g) That the Returning Officer who was the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Talwandi Sabo, was available to the returned candidate inasmuch as he was specially brought by transfer to Talwandi Sabo just on the eve of election on December 9, 1996. The gentleman had already served at Talwandi Sabo earlier and had developed close contracts with the returned candidate who was an influential Minister in the then Congress Government as Minister of State for Cooperation. He was posted at Bhatinda and his wife was also serving there as Lecturer in Government College, Bhatinda, yet he was specially got transferred to Talwandi Sabo at the instance of the returned candidate. This was apparently a wrong entry to validate the nomination papers of the returned ... candidate by inserting the words "Received at 10. 00 A. M. on J. M. SINGH v. H. S. JASS! [R. C. LAHOTI, J. ] 47 21. 1. 1997".

In fact, upto the time of scrutiny, there was no such copy produced before the Returning Officer, and thus his nomination papers were liable to be rejected. (h) That since the returned candidate is a person whose nomination papers were wrongly accepted by the Returning Officer and, therefore, the result is materially affected so far as the returned candidate is concerned and the election is liable to be declared void. " All the material averments made in the election petition have been denied by the respondent in his counter/written statement. As to the production of the certified copy of the electoral roli it is stated by the respondent that the certified copy showing the name· of the respondent as entered in the electoral roll of Pucca Kalan Constituency was produced before the returning officer of Talwandi Sabo at 10 A. M. on 21. 1. 1997 i. e.

, one hour before the commencement of scrutiny of nomination papers and thus at the time of scrutiny the certified copy was very much there before the returning officer and thus the mandate of Section 3 3 of the Act was fully comp lied with. It is specifically denied that the certified copy was handed over to the returning officer at any time after the scrutiny was over. The distance of the election .. office Bhatinda from Talwandi Sabo is hardly 24 kms. and it does not take more than half an hour to cover this distance by car. The returned candidate had applied for the certified copy of the relevant entry at 9 A. M. on 21. 1. 1997 in the election office at Bhatinda which was supplied to him within l 5-20 minutes and thereafter the returned candidate immediately rushed in his car from District Election Office to Talwandi Sabo to produce the said certified copy in the office of the returning officer which he succeeded in handing over to the returning officer in his office at 10 A. M.

It was denied that the returning officer was brought by the returned candidate to Talwandi Sabo by getting him transferred on 9. 12. 1996. The allegations as to any corrupt practice having been committed by the returned candidate was denied. It was submitted that the respondent had correctly filed the return to expenses. It was further submitted that the observer never took possession of any printed posters from the office complex of the respondent. The posters referred to in para 10 (t) of the election petition was got printed and distributed by the Block Congress Committee Talwandi Sabo and Maur Mandi in routine in the 3rd week of December i. e. , much earlier to filing of nomination papers by the respondent. The poster was never distributed by the respondent during election process as alleged by the appellant. The respondent had got printed 3500 posters of different sizes and types from Satguru Printing Press for Rs. 2800 @ 80 paise per poster.

The respondent also got printed 2000, 1800, 1500 posters for Rs. 1800, Rs. 1875 and Rs. 900@90 paise, Rs. 1. 25, Rs. 3. 90 per poster respectively depending on the size and type of different posters. Hand bills in campaigning were I0,000 got printed at the cost of Rs. I000 only. The total expenditure thus incurred by the respondent on the printing of posters was Rs. 10,275 which was correctly shown in the return of the expenses. ·It is wholly wrong to say that the cost of the two posters mentioned in the election petition was Rs. 1,40,000. The learned Designated Election Judge has found the allegation made by the election petitioner not proved. He has held that the certified copy Ext. R-5/1 was duly obtained on 21. 1. 1997 and produced by the respondent at JO of Talwimdi Sabo. The averments niade in the election petition vide para 6(g) setting out the alleged reason for transfer are verified to be true to the personal knowledge of the appellant.

In his deposition before the Court the only fact stated by the appellant is that Manvesh Singh had enjoyed one posting earlier also at Talwandi Sabo and he was posted for the second time just on the eve of election. This factual part is not denied even by Manvesh Singh himself who admitted that once earlier also between 25. 8. 1995 and 24. 8. 1996 he had remained posted at Talwandi Sabo as SOM. His wife was a lecturer in Bhatinda. Jn September, 1996, he had sought for a transfer to Bhatinda so as to join his wife which request was allowed by the State Government. However, the St-ate Government transferred him back to Talwandi Sabo on 17/18. 12. 1996. He had not made any representation for transferring him back. In between there was a change in the leadership of the State Government. In October, 1996 Smt. Rajender Kaur Bhattal became the Chief Minister of the State in place of Shri Harcharan Singh Brar. Beyond these facts, there is no other shred of evidence • J. M. SINGH v. H. S.

JASSI (R. C. LAHOTI, J. ] 49 brought on record enabling an inference being drawn that the returned candidate or Manvesh Singh, the returning officer or any one else in particular was instrumental in bringing Manvesh Singh to Talwandi Sabo. Transfers and postings are ordinary incidents of service and ordinarily any transfer or posting is presumed to have been made to satisfy the administrative exigencies of service. Merely because a government servant happens to be posted twice at a particular station within a short range of time, an inference as to his having been 'brought' to a particular station for a particular purpose cannot be drawn. The documentary evidence brought on record by the appellant himself through Karam Singh (PW 11 ), Superintendent of Punjab, Civil Secretariat, goes to show that Smt. Rajender Singh Bhattal, the Chief Minister of the State had passed an order Ex. A/12 on 10. 12. 96 directing certain postings/transfers of PCS officers.

There were as many as 24 transfers and not that Manvesh Singh alone was transferred for the purpose of being accommodated or posted to fulfil somebody's demand. On the principal controversy as to whether the certified copy of the relevant extract from the voters list of Pucca Kalan Constituency showing the respondent as an elector entered therein was available or not before the returning officer at the tin1e of scrutiny of nomination papers at 11 A. M. on 21. 1. I 997, the case sought to be made out by the appellant at the trial is at variance with the one set out in the election petition. We cannot resist observing that both the parties have twisted the facts in this regard; while the appellant has trie_d to develop a case far too away from the truth; the respondent too in his anxiety to defend himself and playing very safe has gone on to making exaggerations.

However, the truth lies somewhere in between and has been brought out in the testimony of Manvesh Singh, the returning officer whom we find a witness of truth giving a natural and unembellished version of the events as they had happened. His testimony also finds support from documentary evidence. The relevant legal provisions around which revolves the controversy are contained in sub-section (5) of Section 33 and sub-sections {I), (4), (5), (6) and (8) of Section 36 of the Act. The same are extracted and reproduced hereunder :- "33 (5). Where the candidate is an elector of a different constituency, a copy of the electoral roll of that constituency or of the relevant part thereof or a certified copy of the relevant entries in such roll, unless it has been filed along with the noll}ination paper, be produced before • • the returning officer at the time of scrutiny. 36 (I).

On the date fixed for the scrutiny of nominations under section 30, the candidates, their election agents, one proposer of each candidate, and one other person duly authorised in writing by each candidate, but no other person, may attend at such time and place as the returning officer may appoint; and thereturning officer shall give them all reasonable facilities for examining the nomination papers of all candidates which have been delivered within the time and in the manner laid down in section 3 3. xxx xxx. the certified copy was filed neither as accompanying the nomination paper nor at the time of scrutiny, it should be held that the certified copy was not filed at all and therefore the nomination paper of the respondent should have been rejected. Illegal acceptance of the nomination paper of a returned candidate implies the result of election having been materially affected and therefore the election of the respondent is liable to be set. aside.

For two reasons the submission has to fail. Firstly, on the language of sub section (5) of Section 33 of the Act, it cannot be held that the time of presentation of the certified copy is a constituent of the 'manner' of compliance. Where the candidate is an elector of a different constituency, Section 33 (5)· ' prescribes the 'manner' of proving the factum of the candidate being an elector of a different constituency in one of the three modes : (i) by producing a copy of the electoral roll of that constituency or (ii) a copy of the relevant part thereof or (iii) a certified copy of the relevant entries in such roll. Any other mode of proof is excluded. This has been explained by the Constitution Bench of this Court in Ranjit Singh v. Pritam Singh and others, AIR (1966) SC 1626. So far as the time is concerned, as we will deal with shortly hereinafter the earliest and outer limits of time are prescribed.

The nomination paper with which a copy of part of the roll had been filed was rejected on the ground that the name of the parliamentary constituency, the name of the village and the assembly constituency and the part number of the electoral roll of the candidate were not mentioned and also because the name of the parliamentary constituency (House of the People) of the proposer was not given. The other two nomination papers were rejected on the ground that a copy of the electoral roll of the constituency concerned or of the relevant part thereof or a certified copy of the relevant entries had not been filed alongwith each of those nomination papers. The returning officer refused to look into the copy of a part of the electoral roll made the candidate had filed alongwith his nomination paper which had stood already rejected when the other two nomination papers were taken up for scrutiny.

When the matt~r came up before this court, the Constitution Bench stated the object of Section 33(5) in the following words : "The object of this provision obviously is to enable the returning officer to check whether the person standing for election is qualified for the purpose. The electoral roll of the constituency for which the returning officer is making scrutiny would be with him, and it is not necessary for a candidate to produce the copy of the roll of that constituency. But where the candidate belongs to another constituency the returning officer would not have the roll of that other constituency H. ' J. M. SINGH v. H. S. JASSI [R. C. LAHOTI, J. ) 61 -. -with him and therefore the provision contained in S. 33(5) has been made by the Legislature to enable the returning officer to check that the candidate if qualified for standing for election.

For that purpose the candidate is given the choice either to produce a copy of the electoral roll of that other constituency, or of the relevant part thereof or a certified copy of the relevant entries in such roll before the returning officer at the time of the scrutiny if he has not already filed such copy with the nomination paper. " Repelling the argument of the opposite party that the compliance of Section 33(5) must be made as regards each of the nomination papers, the Constitution Bench opined that it would be enough if the candidate has one copy with him at the time of the scrutiny and shows it again and again as each nomination paper is taken up for scrutiny by the returning officer and hence where a number of nomination papers have been filed and a copy has been filed with one of them that is enough compliance of Section 33(5).

The returning officer is not prevented by Section 33(5) from looking at the copy filed with one nomination paper inspite of its having been rejected because 'the purpose of filing the copy is to ensure that the returning officer is able to check whether the candidate concerned is qualified or not and that purpose would be effectively served even if only one copy is filed with one nomination paper and no copies are filed with the other nomination papers. ' The Constitution Bench went on to observe that may be that for certain purpose each nomination paper stands by itself but so far as filing of a copy with the nomination paper under Section 33(5) is concerned, we must look at the object behind the provision and if that object is served by filing a copy with one nomination paper, we see no sense in requiring a copy being filed with each nomination paper where they are more than one. As to the manner of compliance with Section 33(5) the Constitution .. ,.

Bench expressed itself as under : " .......... the object of producing the copy under S. 33 (5) is to enable the returning officer to check whether the candidate and the proposer are qualified or not, one for the purpose of standing and the other for the purpose of proposing. In order to check this, the returning officer must have a complete copy of the relevant part. If the copy is not a complete copy it is possible that a name which may have been included in the draft or in the first amendment may have been excluded in the . ,. second amendment made on the basis of an order of the appellate officer. Therefore to enable the returning officer to decide whether a 62 SUPREME COURT . REPORTS [1999] SUPP. 4 S. C. R. candidate is qualified to stand or whether a proposer is qualified to propose he must have a complete copy of the relevant part of the roll. If he has not a complete copy he will not be able to decide whether the candidate or the proposer has the necessary qualification.

" (para 12) The Court however upheld the rejection of nomination paper because the copy of electoral roll produced was incomplete and that was a defect of a substantial character. Applying the abovesaid statement of law to the facts of the case at hand two inferences follow. Firstly, the obje_ct sought to be achieved by Section 33(5) is fulfilled if the requisite docuniertt is available before the returning officer at the time of scrutiny even if the ·same was not filed alongwith the nomination paper; meaning thereby the production of the requisite document subsequent to the fiHing of the nomination paper but before the time of scrutiny so as to be available before. the returning officer at the time of scrutiny would meet the requirement of Section 33(5} .

It would have been better if the document required· to be filed with the nomination paper and not so filed was produced before the returning officer at the time of scrutiny because in that case the production would have bc:en in the presence of all those who might have chosen to remain present at the time of scrutiny and that would have avoided all such insinuations being hurled at the returning officer and/or the returned candidate as is being dlone in the case at hand. But that does not mean that the document made available to the returning officer before the time of scrutiny cannot be looked into by him at the time of scrutiny for the purpose of satisfying himself of the compliance by a candidate with Section 33(5) of the Act.. It is possible and permissible for the candidates to demand and inspect the nomination papers of itheir rivals ·. and the Returning Officer is under an obligation to enable them to do so.. Thus, there is no great sanctity in producing the Electoral Roll.

only at the time of scrutiny. Secondly, Manvesh Singh, the returning officer has deposed on oath that. he had been supplied with the electoral roll of Pucca Kalan Constituency under the instructions of the Election Commission arnd that was available· with him which could have been looked into for the purpose of satisfying himself whether the respondent was an elector of Pucca . Kalan Constituency or not. The n;turning officer was not obliged to call for the electoral roll of different constituency and meet the deficiency in the nomination officer. " But in the present case it was already available with him and as per his own statement he would have looked into it. The requirement of Section \ J. M. SINGH v. H. S. JASS! [R. C. LAHOTI, J. ) 63 33(5) as explained by the Constitution Bench in Ran) it Singh 's case (supra) would have been satisfied by looking into that electoral roll even if the disputed certified copy Ex. R-5/1 would not have been produced by the respondent.

The statement on oath of the returning officer as to the availability of such voters list with him has not been disputed on behalf of the appellant by directing pin-pointed cross-examination on this part of the statement. We have no reason to disbelieve the same. We are therefore clearly c:ifthe opinion that the . nomination papers filed by the respondent cannot be said ~o have been illegally accepted by the returning officer: We uphold the finding recorded by the learned Designated Election Judge on this issue. Having dealt with' the principal plea Of ihe appellant relating to illegal acceptance of. the respondent's nomination papers we would now tum to examining how far the appellant has. succeeded in proving the allegations as to corrupt practice (to the extent to which they have been pressed for decision in this appeal by the. learned senior counsel· for the appellant.

Before we may proceed to deal, in exercise of our appellate jurisdiction, with the pleas raised on behalf of the petitioner-appellant canvassing commission of corrupt practices by the respondent which in the opinion of the High Court the election petitioner has failed in proving, we would like to. state a few well-settled legal principles in the field of election jurisprudence and relevant to our purpose. They are : (i) The success of a candidate who has won at an election should not be lightly interfered with. Any petition seeking such interference must strictly conform t. o the. requirements of the law. Though the purity of the election process has to be safeguarded and the Court· shall be vigilant to see that people do not get elected by flagrant breaches of I.

aw or by committing corrupt practices, the setting aside of an election involves serious consequences not only for the returned candidate and the constituency, but also for the public at large inasmuch as re-election involves enormous load on the public funds and administration [See : Jagan Nath v. Jaswant Singh, AIR (1954) SC 210; Gajanan Krishnaji Bapat v. Dattaji Raghobaji Meghe, [I995J 5 sec 347. (ii) Charge of corrupt practice is quasi-criminal in character. If · substantiated ~t leads ·not only to the setting aside of the election of the successful candidate, but also of his being disqualified to contest an election for a certain period. It may entail extinction of a person's public life and political career. A trial of an election petition though within the realm of civil law is akin to trial on a criminal charge. Two consequences follow.

Firstly, 1:he allegations relating to commission of a corrupt practice should be sufficiently clear and stated precisely so as to afford the person charged a full opportunity of meeting the same. Secondly, the charges when put to issue should be proved by clear, cogent and credible evidence. To prove charge of corrupt practice a mere preponderance of probabilities would not be enough. There would be a presumption of innocence available to the person charged. The charge shall have to be proved to hilt, the standard of proof being the same as in a criminal trial. [See Quamarul Isam v. S. K. Kanta, AIR (1994) SC 1733, F. A. Sapa v. Singora, AIR (1991) SC 1557, Manohar Joshi etc. v. Damodar Tatyaa@ Dada Saheb Rupwati etc. , (1991] 2 SCC 342, Ram Singh v. Col. Ramsingh, AIR (1986) SC 3. (iii) The Appellate Court attaches great value to the opinion formed by the Trial Judge more so when the Trial Judge recording findings of fact is the same who had recorded the evidence.

The Appellate Court shall remember that the jurisdiction to try an election petition has been vested in a Judge of the High Court. Secondly, the trial judge may have had the benefit of watching the demeanour of witnesses and forming first-hand opinion of thein in the process of evaluation of evidence. The Supreme Court may re:-assess the evidence and come to its own conclusions on feeling satisfied that in recording findings of fact the High Court has disregarded settled principles governing the approach to evidence or committed grave or palpable errors. [See : Gajanan Krishnaji Bapat v. Dattaji Raghobaji Meghe, (1995] 5 SCC 347; Kripa Shankar p Chatterji v. Gurudas Chatterjee, [1995] 5 SCC I. (iv) Section 83 of the Act requires every election petition to contain a 4t · concise statement of the material facts on which the appellant relies.

If the election petition alleges commission of corrupt practice at the election, the election petition shall set forth full particulars of any corrupt practice including as full a statement as possible of the names of the parties alkged to have committed such corrupt practice and the date and place of the commission of each such practice. Every election petition must be signed and verified by the appellant in the manner laid down for the verification of pleadings in the CPC. An election petition alleging corrupt practice is required to be accompanied by an affidavit in Form 25 read with Rule 94A of the Condi; ct J. M. SINGH v. H. S. JASSJ [R. C. LAHOTI, J. ] 65 -~ of Election Rules, 1961.

Form 25 contemplates the various particulars as to the corrupt practices mentioned in the election petition being verified by the appellant separately under two headings: (i) which of such statements including particulars are true to appellant's own knowledge, and (ii) which of the statements including the particulars are true to information of the appellant. It has been held in Gajanan Krishnaji Bapat's case (supra) that the election petitioner is also obliged to disclose his source of information in respect of the commission of the corrupt practice so as to bind him to the charge levelled by him and to prevent any fishing or roving enquiry, also be prevent the returned candidate from being taken by surprise. ' With so much statement of law we proceed to deal with the relevant issues relating to corrupt practices. Issue No. 3 Allegations of bribery?

The case as to corrupt practice of bribery committed by the respondent is to be found mentioned in para 8 of the election petition which is extracted and reproduced hereunder :- "8. That the returned candidate is also guilty of corrupt practice of bribery within the purview of Section 123 (I) of the Act and also of undue influence under Section 123(2) of the Act the material facts and particulars thereof constituting the above corrupt practices are as under:- (a) That on February 6, 1997 at about 11. 00 P. M. , Sarvshri Harpal , Singh son of Kirpal Singh and Chamkaur Singh son ofHakam Singh, residents of Gandhi Basti, Maur Mandi, came to the camping site of the petitioner and reported that the returned candidate accompanied . by Shri Sangram Singh, Station House Officer, Police Station Maur Mandi and others were distributing cash and liquor to the voters in Gandhi Basti.

(b) That the Station House Officer also threatened the voters to vote for Shri Harminder Singh Jassi, Respondent, and in case they do not vote for Shri Jassi, he will teach them a lesson. (c) That on getting this information the petitioner immediately telephoned the observer at Bhatinda at about 11. 45 P. M. the observer replied that he will take due care of it. However, he arrived in the Maur > . ~ Mandi after a short while and sent for the petitioner. Sarvshri Harpal Singh and Chamkuar Singh, Gora Lal and Ashok Kumar accompanied the observer to Gandhi Basti, the place where the above incident occurred. When they arrived at Gandhi Basti at about 1. 45 A. M. the returned candidate accompanied by the Station House Officer and others was seen leaving the Basti, and this was pointed out to the 1 i observer. He went to the. spot and made enquiries from various residents of that place.

The petitioner believes that he verified about the distribution of cash and liquor and threats of the Station House Officer to the Voters as explained above, in the presence of the . P returned candidate. The petitioner further believes that the observer sent a report in this regard to the Election Commission of India. It further transpired that the returned candidate with the Station House Officer contacted Shri Roop Singh son of Shri Sadhu Singh and Shri Roshan Singh son of Shri Baljit Singh, residents of Gandhi Basti, Maur during their visit in. the area on the night of February 6, 1997 I) and offered them Rs. 200 per vote. They declined to accept the illegal gratification offered to them. This happened at about 11. 30 P. M. On February 6, 1997 in their houses in Gaud. hi Basti Maur. They were influential persons in the Basti.

Shri Sangram Singh, Station Hoμse Officer, was specially got posted as Station House Officer, Police Station Maur Mandi, at the instance of the returned candidate on the eve of elections, i. e. , on January 3, 1997. For this coveted post, he was naturally beholden to the returned candidate and willing to help him in any manner. Infact, he helped him to further his election prospects. It may further be mentioned that the transfer of Shri Sangram Singh, Station House Officer, Police Station Maur was in violation of the Model Code of Conduct issued by the Election Commission of India which prohibited all transfers after announcement of the elections in .. Punjab. The petitioner reported this matter to the Election Commission of India, New Delhi and the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, Chandigarh on January 12, 1997 through Fax. Thus, the returned candidate is guilty of corrupt practices of bribery within the meaning of Section 123(1) and undue inflw~nce under Section 123(2) of the Act.

" A perusal of para . 8 of the election petition shows that_ the· factum of the respondent accompanied by Sangram Singh, . SHO distributing cash and J. M. SINGH v. H. S. JASS! [R. C. LAHOTI, J. ] 67 .... liquor to the voters in Gandhi Basti is alleged to have been brought to the knowledge of the appellant by S/Shri Harpal Singh (PW6) and Dr. Chamkaur Singh (PWS). Sub-para (a) and (b) of para 8 of the election petition do not set out the names of the persons who were offered cash and liquor. A reading ... ,"') of sub-para (c) of para 8 of the election petition especially looking at the manner in which the averment has been made gives an impression that Roop Singh and Resham Singh having been offered the bribe of Rs. 200 each for casting their votes in favour of the returned candidate was an information J gathered by the observer.

The petition does not allege such names of the persons who were allegedly offered the bribe to have been brought to the knowledge of the appellant by any one directly. The petition does not give any particulars of the names of the persons threatened by SHO and the time and place of thereat to the voters. In the affidavit ~ccompanying' the petition it is stated that the facts stated in paras S(a), S(b) and S(c) of the petition are based on the information received from Harpal Singh and Chamkaur Singh who have been examined at the trail as PW6 and PWS respectively. The averments made in. the petition have been specifically denied in the written statement filed by the respondent. The appellant filed replication to the written statement filed by the respondent.

It is in the replication that the appellant has come out with an averment (vide para 8) that some amongst the electors who were threatened by Shri Sangram Singh, SHO were Jagseer Singh (not examined), Dharminder Singh; PW 13, Jawsant Singh (not examined), Jagraj Singh (not examined), and . :, Mander Singh (not examined). Here itself, we may observe that material facts and particulars as to commission of corrupt practice are required to be given in the election petition and not in the replication filed much after the expiry of period of limitation for filing election petition. The material facts and particulars alleged for the first time in the replication and not forming part of averments made in the election petition cannot be tried and cannot be made subject matter of issues"framed by the Court. The learned Designated Election Judge has taken care to frame the issues only by reference to the averments rnade in the election petition and not by referring to the averments made for .

the first time in the replication. Firstly, the respondent does not have an .... opportunity of denying the averments-whether facts or particulars, introduced for the first time in replication. Secondly, as already stated, material facts and particulars as to corrupt practice are required to be supported by an affidavit in the prescribed proforma. The replication is not supported by any affidavit -~ in the prescribed proforma. The learned Designated Election Judge has discussed the relevant pleadings and the evidence adduced by the parties in the High Court. He has , assigned reasons for arriving at the finding that the corrupt practices alleged in para 8 of the election petition were not proved. We have carefully perused the findings so recorded. Upon an independent evaluation of the evidence adduced by the parties through which we have been taken by the learned counsel for the parties, we find ourselves in entire agreement with the view taken by the High Court.

While recording our general agreement with the ( finding arrived at by the learned Designated Election Judge, still we would briefly assign the reasons for finding the allegation as to corrupt practice not proved. Harpal Singh ' (PW6) stated that Dr. Chamkaur Singh had come lo his house and at about 10 p. m. on 6. 2. 97 he had accompanied Dr. Chamkaur Singh to see him off upto his house. On the way the two saw the respondent accompanied by SHO Sangram Singh offering money and liquor to about 50- 60 persons standing inside a boundary wall situated at a distance of about one furlong from his house. He accompanied by Dr. Chamkaur Singh informed the appellant who in his tum informed the observer Shri R. Bhardwaj (PW 43) who promptly reached there. The observer reached the place of the incident and made enquiries from Sher Singh Goldy and Sharvan Singh who were present. Rest of the persons had fled away.

The persons present were in possession of liquor and told the observer that the liquor was supplied to them by the respondent and SHO, Sangram Singh. Room Singh and Resham Singh had· told the observer that the respondent had given them the offer of paying Rs. 200 per vote cast in his favour. Dr. Chamkaur Singh (PW8) deposed generally on the same lines as Harpal Singh (PW6). Room Singh (PW 12) deposed to having been offered a bait of bribe and liquor by respondent. He also deposed to the SHO having threatened him with dire consequences if he did not arrange votes for the respondent though he did not give out the name of the SHO. In cross-examination he stated that he did not know the appellant at all. He further stated that he had not accepted either the liquor or the money from the respondent nor did the threat given to him bring out any result. He has positively stated that he gave this information to the observer and the latter had noted his name in a diary.

Dharminder Singh (PW 13) also deposed on similar lines as Roop Singh (PW 12). He further stated that he had made a complaint to the observer as regards the threat given to -him and the observer had noted his name also in his diary. The observer is Shri R. Bhardwaj (PW 43). He was an additional commissioner of income-tax, Patiala. He stated that at about I 1. 30/J 1. 45 p. m. on 6. 2. 1997 he received a· J. M. SINGH v. H. S. JASS! [R. C. LAHOTI, J. ] 69 . telephonic call from the appellant that liquor and money were being distributed by the respondent in order to purchase the voters and one S. I. Sangram Singh was accompanying the respondent. Looking at the seriousness of the allegation made, he immediately rushed to village Mor Mandi as per the information given by the appellant. He did not find the respondent though SHO Sangram Singh did meet him. He visited Gandhi Basti, the place forming subject matter of the complaint.

He did not find any corroborative evidence to substantiate the allegations of the appellant that money and liquor were J distributed. He interviewed about 7 to I 0 persons in order to verify the allegations made by the appellant in Gandhi Basti but none substantiated the allegations so made. No specific complaint was made against the conduct of SHO Sangram Singh though the observer as deposed to by him, was eager to enquire about his conduct keeping in view the seriousness of allegations levelled against him. The only thing objectionable which the observer found in the conduct of Sangram Singh was that he was found to be moving in --private Maruti car and could not explain why it was so. However, the election petition does not raise any grievance about the SHO moving in a private Maruti car and we cannot uphold the allegations as to corrupt practice substantiated merely because the person accused of committing corrupt practice was an SHO moving in a private Maruti car.

Nothing has been brought on record to show to whom the Maruti car belonged. In our opinion the statement ofR. Bhardwaj (PW 43), the observer examined on behalf of the appellant, is by itself enough to demolish the case of the appellant as regards the corrupt practice alleged in para 8 of the election petition. The testimony ofDharminder Singh and Roop Singh (PW 12 & 13) stands contradicted and its effect demolished by the testimony of R. Bhardwaj (PW 13) who is an independent witness. Harminder Singh, the returned candidate who appeared in the witness box as RWI and Sangram Singh, SI (RW5) have denied the averrnents as to corrupt practice made in the election petition as also those . - deposed to by Harpal Singh (PW6), Chamkaur Singh (PWS) Roop Singh, (PW12) and Dharminder Singh (PW13). Issue No. 5 : As to respondent having incurred expenditure in excess of the prescribed limit and filed false return of expenses? Issue No.

5 is based on the averments made in para l 0 of the election petition. According to the appellant, the respondent incurred and authorised expenditure over and above the limit prescribed by Section 77 of the Act read with Rules 86 and 90 of the Conduct of Election Rules, I 96 l and thereby ~· committed a corrupt practice within the meaning of Section 123(6) of the Act. •. According to Section 77{1) every candidate at an election shall either by himself or by his election agent keep a separate and correct account of all expenditure in connection with the election incurred or authorised by him or by his election agent between the date on which he has been nominated and the date of declaration of the result thereof, both days inclusive. According to Section 77(3), the total of the said expenditure shall not exceed such amount as may be prescribed.

The incurring or authorising of expenditure in contravention of Section 77(3) amounts to corrupt practice under sub-sec:tion [ (6) of the Section 123 of the Act. The maximum election expenses which the respondent could have incurred, as per Rule 90 is Rs. 1,35,000. The respondent filed his nomination papers on 16. LI 997. The result of the election was declared on 10. 2. 1997. For the purpose of Section 77 read with Section 123(6) of the Act the expenses relevant are those incurred by the respondent between 16. 1. 97 and 10. 2. 97, both days inclusive. The grievance of the appellant related to expenses incurred by the respondent in maintaining lunger (common kitchen) for the electors of the constituency, the expenses incurred on vehicles engaged and utilised by the respondent for the purposes of the election and the expenditure incurred on posters and stickers used as a part of canvassing programme of the respondent.

The learned senior counsel for the appellant has very fairly stated the though all the averments made in the petition were put to trial and evidence was adduced by the appellant but at this stage he would press for decision only the alleged expenses incurred Jn account of the posters which were got printed, distributed and pasted in the constituency by the respondent. The relevant part of the averments made vide para 10 of the election petition to the extent to which pressed for decision before this Court are extracted and reproduced hereunder : 10. That the returned candidate has incurred and authorised expenditure over and above the prescribed limit, provided under Section 77 of the Act, and thus committed a corrupt practice within the purview of Section 123(6) of the Act. The material facts and particulars are given hereunder : (a) That the limit in Section 77 of the Act for expenses for an Assembly Constituency in Punjab is Rs. 1. 35 lakhs.

This limit equally applies to 109-Talwandi Sabo Constituency. However, the return of expenses filed by the returned candidate does not conform to Rule 86 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961. J. M. SINGH v. H. S. JASS! [R. C. LAHOTI, J. ) 71 (b) That as per the return of expenses filed by the returned candidate, the total expenditure shown by him is Rs. 44,832 only. But, in fact, he incurred expenditure manifold higher than the prescribed limit under Section 77 of the Act. ... -_. "(d) That from the office complex of the respondent, the observer also took certain pointed posters, which did not carry any printline on them. Such posters were stickers of two types, one round and the other rectangular. Another poster carrying the photograph of the returned candidate and the then Chief Minister of Punjab, Smt. Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. The petitioner was informed that the observer sent a report to the Election Commission of India in this regard.

" xxx xxx xxx (f) That the returned candidate also got published various posters and .... hand bills. One such poster has the Caption "Pichhle Panj Saalan which Harminder Singh Jassi Walon Talwandi Sabo Hatke which Karwai Gai Vikas Karjan Da Verva" (The development achievements of Shri Harminder Singh Jassi in Talwandi Sabo Constituency during the last five years. ) This poster was widely distributed and affixed in the constituency in all the villages and towns. The estimate is that this poster was printed and published to the extent of 50,000. The cost of such posters is Rs. 50,000. The other posters utilised were with the Caption "Vidhan Sabha Hatke Talwandi Sabo Taon Congress (I) De Umeedwar" with printed photographs of the returned candidate and the then Chief Minister of Punjab, Smt Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. This poster is without any printline and the observer had taken hold of these posters from the office complex of the returned candidate at Talwandi Sabo.

Similarly, another poster was also affixed and distributed all over the Constituency with the same Caption, but carried only photo print of the respondent with his election symbol. This of course, is with the print line of the press as Sat Guru Press. These posters were freely distributed and affixed and the estimate is that both these ' posters were printed and published to the tune of 50,000 each the cost of the two posters comes to Rs. 1,40,000 as per the market rate. The returned candidate has shown in all expenditure on these posters as Rs. 8,375. There is substantial difference between the actual cost and the one shown in the return of expenses to the tune of Rs. 1,81,625. xxx xxx xxx . A (g) .............. Thus the returned candidate has incurred much more expenditure and authorised the same over and above the one prescribed under Section 77 of the Act and committed a corrupt practice within the purview of Section 123 (6) of the Act. xxx xxx xxx \ .

The averments made by the appellant have been denied in the written statement. It is denied that the respondent at any time incurred or authorised the expenditure beyond the amount of Rs. 44,832 as stated in the return of expenses. It was denied that the observer had taken in possession certain posters from the office complex of the respondent in his presence. As to the poster with the caption "pichhle panj slan which ..... " the respondent stated that the poster was got printed and distributed by the block congress committees of Talwandi Sabo and Mor Mandi in routine in the third week of December, i. e. , much before the filing of nomination paper by the respondent. .. The said poster was neither got printed nor distributed nor pasted by the respondent or on his behalf in the constituency. The respondent had got printed 3500 posters of different sizes and types from Satguru Printing Press for Rs. 2800. He had also got printed 2000, 1500 and 1000 posters respectively for Rs.

1800, 1875 and 900 and handbills ten thousands in numbers for Rs. 1000 only. The total expenditure incurred by the respondent on the printing of posters was Rs. 10275 which has been correctly shown in the return of the expenses. Here itself, we may state that as per the affidavit filed in support of the election petition the averments made in sub-para (a) (b) and (e) of the para 10 are stated to be true to the personal knowledge of the appellant while the contents of sub-paras (c) (d) (f) and (g) are stated to be based on information received from Pratipal Singh Bhindal and believed by the appellant to be true. The infirmity with which the averments made in the election petition suffer from is that the dates between which the posters are alleged to have been distributed and pasted in the constituency are not mentioned in the election petition.

From the averments made in the petition it cannot be deduced that the expenditure on account of the posters even if incurred by the respondent, was so incurred between the date of nomination and the date of declaration of result of the election. In the absence of the appellant having made a positive allegation of the alleged expenses having been incurred between the date of nomination of the respondent and the date of declaration of the result the applicability of sub-section (3) of Section 77 would not be attractive. J. M. SINGH v. H. S. JASS! [R. C. LAHOTI, J. ] 73 .... _:,. ; Pratipal Singh Bhindal has been examined as PW 48. In his statement without giving any dates he has simply stated that in his estimation about 1,50,000 posters like Al to A3 were pasted/exhibited in the constituency. One of the impugned poster does not refer to the respondent or to his activities in the constituency.

As per explanation I appended to sub-section (I) of Section 77 any expenditure incurred or authorised by a political or by any other association or body of persons or by any independent other than the candidate or his election agent is not be counted as of expenditure by the candidate or his election agent attracting applicability of Section 77. The posters were distributed generally in the interest of the political party and its candidates highlighting the achievements of the political party and its leadership, the expenses could not be counted as the expenses as that incurred by the respondent. Shri R. Bhardwaj, PW 43, the election observer had visited the election office of the respondent on 4. 2. 97. He had also taken into possession some election material in the shape of posters, stickers, pamphlets, small flags etc. (Exts. A/42 to A/49).

In his estimation, about 60000 posters were pressed into service on behalf of the congress party and similar quantity was pasted by the appellant also. He has merely given an estimate of the quantity of posters and that too as made use of by Congress party. The respondent has in his own statement substantiated the plea taken in the written statement. Surinder Singh (RW 16), the proprietor ofM/s Satguru Printing Press has been examined on behalf of the respondc:nt who too has supported the statement of the respondent consistent with the plea taken in the written statement and has also proved the concerning vouchers. In the above state of evidence no inference can· be drawn that the statement of expenses and the vouchers as filed by the respondent were false or that the expenditure incurred on the posters had resulted into crossing the prescribed limit of expenditure. We agree with the findings recorded by the learned Designated Election Judge that issue no. 7 is not proved.

Issue no 6 : Allegations as to undue influence? Another corrupt practice amounting to undue influence as defined in section 123(2) of the Act argued and pressed at the time of hearing by the learned senior counsel for the appellant is found alleged in para I I of the election petition. The gist of the averment made is that one Sukhraj Singh '')- Sarpanch of village Natt was a strong supporter of the respondent. He accompanied by Ajaib Singh went to the houses of Pirthi Singh and Niranjan Singh. Only ladies were present at the houses. They were asked to remove the flags of Shiromani Akali Dal from their houses which the ladies refused to do whereupon Sukhraj Singh and Ajaib Singh gave merciless beating to the ladies, Smt. Amarjeet Kaur and Sm

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JEET MOHINDER SINGH v. HARMINDER SINGH JASSI

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