SC issues notice to Centre, EC on contempt plea

NEW DELHI, Mar 29: The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre and the EC on a plea seeking initiation of contempt proceedings for alleged violation of the apex court’s judgment directing all candidates to declare their criminal antecedents to the poll panel before contesting elections.
A bench comprising Justices RF Nariman and Vineet Saran also sought response from the three deputy election commissioners, law secretary and the cabinet secretary for not complying with its judgment dated 25 September, 2018.
The court was hearing a plea filed by lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.
In September last year, a five-judge constitution bench had unanimously held that all candidates will have to declare their criminal antecedents to the Election Commission of India before contesting polls, and had called for wider publicity, through print and electronic media, about the antecedents of candidates. (PTI)