Latest news with #NainitalHighCourt
India Gazette
6 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Uttarakhand panchayat elections to be held in two phases from July 24
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 28 (ANI): The State Election Commission in Uttarakhand on Saturday issued a notification regarding the conduct of panchayat elections in 12 districts of the state, except Haridwar. The notification signed by Sushil Kumar, Uttarakhand State Election Commissioner, comes after the Nainital High Court on Friday permitted the continuation of the panchayat election process, lifting its earlier stay order issued on June 23. According to the notification, the three-tier panchayat elections will be held in two phases in the state. Voting under the first phase will take place on July 24, and voting under the second phase will take place on July 28. The counting of votes will be done on July 31. The dates for filing nomination papers for the panchayat elections are set from July 2 to July 5. The scrutiny of the nomination papers will be carried out from July 7 to July 9. The dates for withdrawing nominations are set from July 10 to July 11. 'Therefore, exercising the powers conferred in Article 243-K of the 'Constitution of India', I, Sushil Kumar, State Election Commissioner, Uttarakhand, hereby direct that the elections of members of all the Gram Panchayats, Pradhans of Gram Panchayats, members of Area Panchayats and members of District Panchayats of 12 (twelve) districts of Uttarakhand State (except District Haridwar) will be conducted...' the notification read. On Friday, after hearing the reservation roster and other documents presented by the government in the Nainital High Court, the division bench of Chief Justice G. Narendra and Justice Alok Mehra agreed to proceed with the process of panchayat elections. It must be noted that after the announcement of panchayat elections on June 21, on June 23, the High Court gave a big blow by staying the elections and seeking answers from the government on many points, including reservation. However, an important hearing was held in the Uttarakhand High Court on Friday regarding the much-awaited three-tier panchayat elections in Uttarakhand. While hearing the petitions filed by the petitioners, the court has given interim relief to the state government and allowed it to conduct the panchayat elections. During the hearing, the advocates on behalf of the state government informed the court that full preparations have been made for the panchayat elections and the legal process has been followed. At the same time, the petitioners raised some technical and constitutional issues. After hearing the arguments of both parties, the court refused to stay the elections for the time being and clarified that the election process can move forward. (ANI)
News18
a day ago
- Politics
- News18
Uttarakhand Panchayat Chunav 2025: Big Relief For Govt As High Court Allows 3-Tier Election
Last Updated: The Nainital High Court lifted the stay on Panchayat elections in Uttarakhand, directing the government to address constitutional issues within three weeks The Nainital High Court on Friday cleared the path for Panchayat elections in Uttarakhand by lifting the interim stay it had earlier imposed, offering a much-needed breather to the Pushkar Singh Dhami-led state government and the state Election Commission. After examining the petitions and the documents submitted by the state in a key meeting on Friday, the high court granted interim relief to the government, allowing it to proceed with the much-anticipated three-tier panchayat elections. However, the court's decision also comes with caveats that may continue to complicate the electoral timeline in the state. The decision to lift the earlier stay order issued on June 23 was delivered by a division bench comprising Chief Justice G Narendar and Justice Alok Mahara, which is currently hearing a clutch of over three dozen petitions filed against the reservation framework for the panchayat elections. The bench, while vacating the interim ban, directed the government to respond to the serious constitutional and procedural issues raised in the petitions within three weeks. At the heart of the legal battle is the controversial reservation roster issued by the state government, which many petitioners argue disproportionately benefits certain categories while consistently marginalising others. Specifically, concerns have been raised over underrepresentation of certain classes in critical posts such as block pramukh and district panchayat president, allegedly in violation of Article 243 of the Constitution, which governs panchayat-level governance, and contrary to several rulings by the Supreme Court. The petitioners argue that several reserved categories have repeatedly been allotted the same seats over multiple election cycles, effectively violating the principle of rotational reservation. This, they say, undermines both equity and constitutional intent. In defence, Advocate General SN Babulkar and Chief Standing Counsel CD Rawat asserted before the court that the previous reservation roster could not be used for the upcoming elections. They cited a report from the National Commission for Backward Classes, which, according to them, rendered the earlier roster void and necessitated the issuance of a fresh reservation list. This revision, they contended, was both legal and essential to ensure compliance with broader national guidelines on backward class representation. The legal turbulence came to a head earlier this week, when the High Court, on June 23, issued a stay on the panchayat elections, even though the State Election Commission had already notified the poll dates and schedule. The Commission had previously declared that the elections would take place in two phases, on July 10 and July 15. Following the court's stay, that schedule was immediately scrapped. Now, with the stay lifted, the High Court has allowed the Election Commission to release a fresh poll schedule, extending the earlier timeline by three days. However, the Commission has stated that it will wait to receive a formal copy of the court's order before proceeding. State Election Commissioner Sushil Kumar has assured that the new election dates will be announced shortly, likely pushing the panchayat polls further into July. While the judicial nod to resume electoral proceedings offers a measure of clarity, it does not close the chapter. The High Court has not yet ruled on the constitutional validity of the June 9 rules and the June 11 government order that underpin the election process. The state now has three weeks to submit its response to the multiple concerns raised in the petitions. First Published: June 27, 2025, 15:41 IST
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Nainital HC lifts stay on Uttarakhand Panchayat elections, seeks govt reply on quota irregularities
DEHRADUN: The Nainital High Court on Friday lifted the stay on panchayat elections in Uttarakhand, allowing the electoral process to proceed. However, it has directed the state government to respond to public interest litigations (PILs) alleging irregularities in the reservation roster. A division bench comprising Chief Justice G. Narendra and Justice Alok Mahra removed the stay after hearing multiple petitions challenging the reservation roster for the state's panchayat elections. The bench instructed the State Election Commission to issue a revised election schedule, extending the previous one by three days. The state government has also been granted three weeks to submit its response to the issues raised in the petitions. The petitioners have raised concerns about the allocation of reservations for Block Pramukh and Zila Panchayat President posts. They allege that several seats have been continuously reserved for the same category over an extended period, which they argue contravenes Article 243 of the Constitution and various Supreme Court rulings.
New Indian Express
08-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Woman posing as High Court lawyer busted in love-extortion scam in Uttarakhand
DEHRADUN: A woman posing as a High Court advocate in Uttarakhand has been arrested for allegedly trapping a man in a love scam, marrying him, and then demanding a hefty sum of Rs 30 lakh under threat of murder. Police registered an FIR based on the victim's complaint and arrested the accused, recovering Rs 50,000 in alleged blackmail money. Authorities revealed the woman reportedly has 18 previous First Information Reports (FIRs) against her in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand for similar blackmail schemes. Deepak Kakkad, a resident of Vasundhara Bhoorarani Road, filed a detailed complaint with Senior Superintendent of Police Manikant Mishra on June 5. He stated that on May 2, he received a WhatsApp call from a woman identifying herself as "Ankita Sharma," an advocate at the Nainital High Court. She claimed it was an accidental call meant for a client. Kakkad revealed that Ankita then began engaging him in sweet talks via WhatsApp chats, gradually ensnaring him in a love trap. She also allegedly swindled Rs 5 lakh from him under the pretext of securing a steel grilling contract.
