24 April 1973
Supreme Court
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MANPHUL SINGH Vs SURINDER SINGH


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PETITIONER: MANPHUL SINGH

       Vs.

RESPONDENT: SURINDER SINGH

DATE OF JUDGMENT24/04/1973

BENCH: ALAGIRISWAMI, A. BENCH: ALAGIRISWAMI, A. PALEKAR, D.G.

CITATION:  1973 AIR 2158            1974 SCR  (1)  52  1973 SCC  (2) 599  CITATOR INFO :  RF         1975 SC 502  (4)  RF         1991 SC1557  (16)

ACT: Representation  of People Act, 1951, Sections  83(1)(a)  and (b)  and 123-Election petition containing elaborate  details of  allegations of corrupt practices-Petition  need  contain only material facts and not evidence therefore-Earlier  part of  Order  VI,  Rule 2 of Code  of  Civil  Procedure,  1908, similar  to  s.  83(1) (a) of  the  Act-Charges  of  corrupt practices  under  s. 123 quasi-criminal nature and  must  be proved  satisfactorily-Allegation in election petition  held not liable to be struck down as not raising triable issue.

HEADNOTE: The  respondent filed an election petition  challenging  the validity  of the election to the Haryana Vidhan  Sabha  from the  Jhajjar  Constituency held on 11-3-1973  in  which  the appellant  was  declared  elected.   The  election  petition contained elaborate details of allegations relating to votes cast in the name of dead persons, votes cast in the name  of Government servants who did not cast their   votes,    votes cast   twice  or  more  than  twice  either  in   the   same Constituency  or more than one constituency, allegations  of corrupt  practices  and  also  of  irregularities  committed during  the  course of the counting.   Various  issues  were framed in respect of these allegations and were made triable by  the learned single Judge of the High Court by his  order dated 17-8-1972.  On appeal by special leave from the  order of the learned single Judge, dismissing the appeal, HELD  : (i) The election petition in the instant case  gives more particulars than would have been found by any body with any  amount of experience in respect of election  petitions. S.  83(1)(a) contemplates giving a concise statement of  the material  facts  on  which  the  petitioner  relies  and  s. 83(1)(b) requires full particulars of corrupt practice to be furnished.   To  say  as  is done  by  appellant,  that  the petition should contain not only the material facts but also the  evidence  on which he relies to  prove  those  material facts  is directly contrary to the provisions of  Order  VI, Rule 2, of the Code of Civil Procedure, the earlier part  of which  is similar to clause (1) (a) of s. 83.  The  Code  of

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Civil Procedure applies to all trials of election  petitions and  to  require  that a party should  not  only  state  the material facts on which he relies. which the respondent  has done  more than amply in this case. but also that he  should state  the evidence on which he relies is not a  proposition which  can  be accepted either as correct in law or  as  one which justice requires. [55E, G] (ii) The  charges of corrupt practices under s. 123  of  the Act are quasi-criminal in nature, and should, therefore,  be proved  satisfactorily as it has a double  consequence,  the election  of the returned candidate being set aside and  the candidate  incurring a subsequent disqualification as  well. It  could  not  be  said  in  the  instant  case  that   the allegations in the election petition are vague or general in nature  or lack material particulars and are as such  liable to  be  struck  down as not raising a  triable  issue.   The procedure to be adopted for the trial would depend upon  the circumstances  of  each  case and each  fact  sought  to  be proved.  it would not be feasible to lay down any  hard  and fast rule on this subject.                                                     [60H]

JUDGMENT: CIVIL  APPELLATE  JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal  No.  2727  of 1972. Appeal  by special leave from the judgment and  order  dated August  17,  1972 of the Punjab and Haryana  High  Court  in Election Petition 45 of 1972. R.   K. Garg and S. C. Agarwala, for the appellant. A.   K.  Sen, Bakhtawar Singh and M. M. Kshatriya,  for  the respondent. 53 The Judgment of the Court was delivered by ALAGIRISWAMI,  J. This appeal arises out of the election  to the, Haryana Vidhan Sabha from the Jhajjar constituency held on 11-3-1973 in which the appellant was declared elected  on receiving 24060 votes as against 23975 votes received by the respondent.   The  respondent thereupon filed  the  petition challenging the validity of the election. The  appeal  itself is against the order dated  17th  August 1972 passed by- the learned Single Judge of the High  Court, who  heard the election petition in respect of issues 1,  2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (a) and 7(b) Issue 2 itself was not challenged before  this, Court.  Issues 1, 3, 4, and 5 form one  group; issue 6 relates to a corrupt practice; issues 7(a) and  7(b) stand  by  themselves.  Though they also do not refer  to  a corrupt  practice,  we  will  discuss  and  deal  with  them separately. We  shall  first set forth the allegations in  the  election petition  which  gave  rise to these  various  issues.   The allegation in the election petition with regard to issue (1) is found in para 9(ii) of the election petition, with regard to issue (3) in para 9(iv), issue (4) in para 9(v) and issue (5) in para 9(vi) :               "Para  9(ii) That the respondent got 28  votes               of the dead voters polled at Chhapa Booth  No.               19, Machhrauli Booth No. 31, Silani Booths No.               38  and  39, Silani Pans Zalim Booth  No.  40,               Silani Panna Keso Booth No. 41, Bhadani  Booth               No. 56, Chhudani Booth No. 58, Sheikhupura Jat               Booth No. 61 and Badli Booth No. 79.               (iv)  That a large number of voters, who were

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             either   absentees  or  missing  or  sick   in               hospitals  or  convicts  lodged  in  jail  and               deserted ladies have been impersonated by  the               friends  and relations of the  respondent  for               whom  they  have all polled  and  their  total               number is 710.                (v)   That  a  large  number  of   Government               servants numbering 158 who were not present in               their  respective  villages and did  not  cast               their  votes in fact, have  been  impersonated               and their votes have been polled in favour  of               the respondent.               (vi)  That  the respondent got the same  votes               registered in two or more different places  in               Haryana Assembly Jhajjar Constituency No.  44-               The said persons are near or distant relations               or friends of the respondent.  The said voters               polled their votes at two different places  in               the    same   constituency   and   in    other               constituencies  i.e.  Jhajjar  Assembly   Con-               stituency  No. 44, Beri Assembly  Constituency               No.  42, Salhawas (S.C.) No.  43,  Bahadurgarh               No.  45,  Kalanaur No. 41, Hasangarh  No.  38,               Pataudi  No. 55, Jattusana No. 58 and  outside               Haryana in Delhi (Union Territory) in  village               Ghewra, Mitrau, Dichau and Charagh Delhi.  The               votes were polled in Thajjar Constituency  and               in,  other constituencies as well......     it               may  further  be  added  that  respondent  had               arranged some chemicals by which the indelible               ink used for identity of a voter on the  first               finger, that he had already               54               cast his vote had been evaporated and in  this               manner  several of the voters exercised  their               votes multiple time in the said  constituency.               For  example his sister Mano impersonated  for               Mitro wife of Mangal, vote No. 934, and Shanti               Wife  of Chhotu vote No. 940 at Booth No.  40.               Besides  this she herself voted twice i.e.  at               Booth  No.  40 against vote No.  824,  and  at               Booth No. 1 against Vote No. 41." It  would be noticed that these allegations relate to  votes cast in the name of 28 dead persons, votes cast in the  name of 710 persons who were absent due to various reasons, those cast  in  the name of 158 Government servants who  were  not present in their respective villages and did not cast  their votes.   Issue (5) relates to the case of about 149  persons who  were  said to have voted twice and in some  cases  more than  twice either in the same constituency or in more  than one  constituency. The appellant denied all the  allegations made  in these Paragraphs but he also filed a  recrimination petition  making the same allegations against the  appellant in  respect  of  about  2200 votes.  We  are  not  just  now concerned  with them.  The main contention of Mr. Garg,  who appeared  on behalf of the appellant, was that these  issues should  not have been allowed to be raised as  the  election petition  did not contain enough material particulars,  that what was asked for was in the nature of a roving and fishing inquiry  and  should not be allowed.   He  was  particularly alarmed by the fact that the respondent had cited as many as 1100  witnesses  whom  he sought to examine  in  respect  of various  allegations  made in the petition  and  the  issues arising out of them.  We shall first of all deal with issues 1, 3, 4 and 5.

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Five  schedules  were  attached to  the  election  petition. Schedule I gives the names and various details of all the 28 persons alleged to have been dead in whose name others  were alleged  to  have voted. The dates on which they  died  were also given except in four cases.  It appears that as many as 24 death certificates have also been produced.  Schedule  HI contains  705 names giving details of the  polling  stations and polling booths to which they were attached, their number in  the  electoral  roll,  the names  of  their  fathers  or husbands.   In 44 cases even the names of persons  who  had- voted  for the absent persons were also given in  the  list. In  many  other cases reasons were also given why  the  real voter  could  not have voted and somebody else  should  have voted  in his or her name.  Schedule IV gives the  names  of various   Army   personnel,  Government   servants,   quasi- Government servants and people in private service and fairly elaborate  details  are  given there as to  where  they  are employed in order to show that they could not have voted and votes in their names should have been cast by somebody else. Schedule  V  gives the names of double or  multiple  voting. The  1st  page of that schedule contains the  names  of  the appellant, his wife, his brother’& daughters, his  daughter, his son, his driver and his driver’s wife and shows the  two booths  where. they are registered as voters and as  having- voted  twice.  Similarly, details are given regarding  other cases of multiple or double voting covering whole of the 149 votes.  One. would have to searth long and wide in order  to come across any election Petition Which gives inch elaborate details. 55 Under  section 83(1)(a) of the Representation of the  People Act  1951,  an  election petition shall  contain  a  concise statement  of  the material facts on  which  the  petitioner relies.  Under clause (b) it shall set forth AM  particulars of  any  corrupt  practice  that  the  petitioner   alleges, including  as full a statement as possible of the  names  of the parties alleged to have committed such corrupt  practice and  the  date  and place of the  commission  of  each  such practice.   The issues that we are just now discussing  fall under  clause (a) and not under clause (b).  Mr. Garg  first took  the  extreme  position that in respect  of  all  these thousand  and  odd votes no challenge could be made  in  the election petition unless the respondent’s polling agents had challenged them at the time of the potting relying upon Rule 36  of  the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 which  has  made provision for challenges at the time of polling.  As we have already   indicated,  the  election  petition   gives   more particulars than would have been found by any body with  any amount  of experience in respect of election petitions:  Mr. Garg  then  went on to argue that where it is  alleged  that votes  have been cast in the name of dead or absent  persons it should be specifically stated who exactly voted in  place of  the  dead or absent persons.  In respect  of  his  first objection  it has to be pointed out that it May  very  often happen  that  a candidate has no polling agents  at  all  in various polling stations and polling booths.  Very often the polling agent may not be a person belonging to that  village so that he may not be able to challenge those votes then and there.   Therefore, it is enough if he has  made  subsequent enquiries and come to know the facts and alleges them within the period , of limitation provided in the Act.  Whereas  s. 83(1)(a)  contemplates  giving a concise  statement  of  the material  facts on which the petitioner relies, Mt.   Garg’s argument really amounts to saying that the, petition  should contain  not only the material facts but so the evidence  on

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which  he  relies to prove those material  facts.   This  is directly contrary to the provisions of Order VI, Rule  2  of the Code of Civil Procedure, which provides that :               "Every  pleading  shall contain,  and  contain               only,  a  statement in a concise form  of  the               material  facts  on which the  party  pleading               relies  for his claim or defence, as the  case               may be, but not the evidence by which they are               to be proved...... " The   earlier  part  of the Rule, it would  be  noticed,  is similar to clause (1) (a) of section 83.  The Code. of Civil Procedure applies to all trials of election petitions and to require  that  a party should not only state   the  material facts   on  which  he  relies,  which  the  respondent   had had  done  more than amply in this case, but  also  that  he should  state  the  evidence on which he  relies  is  not  a proposition  which can be accepted either as correct in  law or  as  one Which justice requires.  The evidence  by  which they are to be proved, if included in the election petition, as  contended by Mr. Garg, it would be directly contrary  to the Provisions of law.  Most of the decisions which he cited were  cases where a general recount was asked for and  there was no evidence to establish that the counting already  made was  defective or not reliable.  In some cases except  vague and-,general  allegations nothing else had been stated.   It is in such cases that this Court held that the 56 should  not  be  allowed the opportunity  of  a  roving  and fishing inquiry.  But this Court has also always  reiterated that for the purpose of doing justice even a general recount can  be ordered if the circumstances demanded.  That is  why in  the  face of the extreme care with  which  the  election petition in this case has been drawn up and the very  minute details  given  in  it we do not consider that  any  of  the decisions  of this Court relied upon by Mr. Garg are to  the point  and  have not referred to them.  As we  have  already indicated,  one  rarely comes. across an  election  petition giving  such minute details and there is nothing  more  that the petitioner could have done except to state the  evidence by which the material facts are to be proved. Indeed,  for  example,  in this case one  witness  had  come forward and given evidence that he had cast the vote of  his absent uncle.  As and when the trial proceeds in the case of votes   cast-  in  the  name  of  dead  persons  the   death certificates  already  produced would have to be  proved  as relating to the particular individual whose name is found in the electoral roll and then the Counterfoil relating to  the particular number of the voter would have to be looked  into to see whether the vote had been cast and then it would have to be found out in whose favour that vote had gone.  In  the case  of absent voters in whose name votes have  been  cast, either  the voters concerned or somebody closely related  to them or who knows them very well would have to give evidence that on the particular polling day the voter was not in town to  be able to cast the vote.  It is possible that  in  some cases, as in the 44 instances which we have earlier referred to,  it  might also be proved that a particular  person  had cast the vote in the name of the absent person, but that  is not  always  necessary if it is established  to  the  satis- faction  of  the  Court that the  voter  concerned  was  not anywhere near the polling station on that day and could  not have cast the vote.  Then the voting paper itself would have to  be looked into to see in whose favour it has been  cast. It might even be necessary to look into the counterfoils  if the  respondent  wants to establish that the vote  has  been

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cast  by the real voter.  If the person who  gives  evidence admits  that he had voted in the name of an absent voter  he may  have  to  be confronted with the  counterfoil  and  the signature or thumb impression thereon and it may have to  be compared  with  the  signature or thumb  impression  of  the person who gives evidence.  This might even become necessary in  some cases where even the voter concerned comes  forward and  gives evidence that he did not cast his vote.   If  his statement  is questioned it may be necessary to compare  his signature  or thumb impression with The signature  or  thumb impression  found  in the counterfoil of  the  voting  paper issued in his name.  This would apply to the 705 votes found in  Schedule III as well as the 155 votes found in  Schedule TV.  The cases of double voting might also involve the  same procedure and probably even more in order to establish  that the  same person has voted more than once either within  the same  constituency or in two different constituencies.   All this is exacting and exhausting work.  It appears that about 1100 witnesses have been summoned and a sum of Rs.  60.000/- his been deported ,in the Court for the purpose of summoning these  witnesses.   But that duty cannot be shirked  in  the face of the pleadings in this case.  They cannot be  brushed aside as vague or general or as not raising any 57 triable issue.  It has also to be noted that the, petitioner does  not ask for a blanket order for opening of the  ballot boxes or looking into all the counterfoils and thus seek  to violate   the  secrecy  of  the  ballot  papers.    In   the application filed in support of the petition for  production of records it is pointed out that the evidence is to be  led by the production of genuine voter and he is to be shown the counterfoil whether it bears his signatures or not and  then whether  he in fact polled his vote or not or somebody  else had  cast  his vote.  It was specifically  stated  that  the petitioner will pray for inspection of ballot papers when he succeeds in proving that they have not cast their votes  and have  been impersonated.  Nothing could be clearer  or  mote reasonable  than  this.  We are, therefore, of  the  opinion that  the  learned Judge was right in his  conclusions  with regard to these issues.  As regards issue- (6) which relates to a corrupt  practice, naturally  particulars  would have to be given  as  required under clause (1)(b) of section 83.  In order to see whether the requirements of s. 83(1) (b) of giving full  particulars of corrupt practices alleged by the respondent, including as full  a  statement as possible of the names of  the  parties alleged  to have committed such corrupt practices,  and  the date and place of   the  commission of each  such  practice, have been met it is necessary to   set out paragraphs 13 and 14 of the petition which are as follows :               "13.  That   there   were  total   568   votes               registered in village Bhatera  in      Jhajjar               Assembly  Constituency No. 44. The  respondent               had  visited village Bhatera a week before  in               Holi   festival  on  or  about   20-2-72   and               approached  Thakur Mohinder Singh to help  him               in securing the votes of village Bhatera.  One               Fakirda  Member Panchayat of village  Bhatera,               Sukhdev  son of Mania of village Bhatera,  and               Maru  Singh  son of Gulzari Singh  of  village               Bhatera  besides  other residents  of  village               collected in the Baithak of Maru Singh son  of               Gulzari  Singh at about 8 p.m. on 20-2-72  and               they were requested to vote for Ch.  Man Phool               Singh, but the Harijans voters including Bhiku

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             son of Muni Lal, Leela son of Dulia,  Thawarya               son  of Jhagru, Fakiria son of Mukh Ram,  Sukh               Din  son of Mania and backward classes  voters               of  the village including Chhotan  s/o  Gugal,               Jugti  Ram  s/o  Nanak, Mangtu  s/o  Sukh  Lal               declined  to  endorse  the  request  of   Shri               Mohinder  Singh  who canvassed  them  for  the               respondent.   On  this the  said  Harijan  and               backward  classes  voters  referred  to  above               along  with other Harijan voters and  backward               classes  voters  were  threatened  by   Thakur               Mohinder  Singh  s/o Sheo  Nath  belonging  to               Rajput  Community  to  either  vote  for   the               respondent  or else not to go to the Dools  at               all,  otherwise  they would  be  socially  and               economically boycotted and their living in the               village  would be made hell for them. in  this               manner  undue influence was exercised on  them               to   restrain  them  from   exercising   their               electoral right."                "14.  That the agents and representatives  of               Respondent  No.  1. Bhanwar Singh  and  Pandit               Rattan Lal had been               58               visiting  this  village Bhatera  between  23rd               February  1972 to 10th March, 1972 and  trying                             to  persuade the Thakurs,  Harijans, backward               classes,  Gujjars and Brahmin voters  to  vote               for  the respondent and on their declining  to               toe  their  line the said  representatives  or               agents  of  respondent  extended  threats   of               danger  to the life and property of  the  said               voters.   As  a  result  of  this  the  entire               village did not poll even a single vote on the               day  of polling at polling station No.  28  at               village  Bhatera.  The  petitioner  approached               the  local  Deputy Superintendent  of  Police,               Shri Ved Parkash on the night between 10th and               11th  March,  1972 conveying to him  that  the               voters  of  village  Bhatera,  who  have  been               always supporting the Congress candidate since               the  elections  started  were  threatened   by               Mohinder Singh of this village, Bhanwar  Singh               and  Pt.   Rattan Lal at the instance  of  and               under  the instigation of the respondent,  his               agents  or supporters not to cast their  votes               on  the polling day.  From the enquiry of  the               Deputy    Superintendent   of   Police,    the               petitioner   learnt  that  the  leaders   Shri               Mohinder Singh son of Sheo Nath, Arisal son of               Jai  Narain, Maru Singh son of  Gaggan  Singh,               Fakiria son of Mukh Ram and Mohinder Singh son               of  Magha  Singh of village  Bhatera  and  all               other  voters of the said village had  decided               not to cast their votes for the fear of  their               life and security of person and property.  The               Deputy Superintendent of Police at the request               of  the petitioner rang up the  Station  House               Office  Jhajjar but no safeguards or  security               measures  were taken.  As a result of this  no               polling took place at this polling booth.               The  poll  was to be adjourned  under  section               57(i) of the Representation of the People  Act               (No. 43 of 1951) as there existed a sufficient

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             cause for the same.  But the Returning Officer               or  the Presiding Officer failed to report  to               the  Election Commission, the Chief  Electoral               Officer and the appropriate Government.               Besides  the  efforts  of  the  petitioner  to               secure  safety  for the Harijan  and  backward               class  voters besides others of  the  village,               who were so much terrified no help came  forth               and  none  of them turned up  to  the  polling               station  to  cast their  votes.   No  re-poll,               however, had been ordered." It would be noticed that the allegation is that not even one vote  was  cast  in village Bhatera  which  contains  1  568 registered   votes.    That  itself   is   of   considerable significance.  the. date of the visit of the  respondent  is given and he and his friend Thakur Mohinder Singh as well as Fakiria,  Sukhdev  and  Maru  Singh  are  alleged  to   have requested   the  Harijan  voters,  whose  names  are   given ’therein, to vote for the respondent and as they declined to do  so  they  were  threatened  either  to  vote  for   the- respondent  or  not to go to the polling  station  and  that otherwise they would be socially and economically  boycotted are  all  mentioned therein.  Though paragraph 14  does  not give  particulars to the same elaborate extent as  paragraph 13,   it  ha  to  be  read  alongwith  paragraph  13.    The allegations were directly disputed by the res- 59 Pondent  and therefore a triable issue arises and we are  of the opinion that issue (6) has been rightly raised. As  regards  issues  7(a)  and 7(b),  which  relate  to  the irregularities committed during the course of the  counting, it is necessary to set out the contents of paragraphs 27  to 31 of the election petition in extenso               "27.   That the counting of the ballot  papers               started an 12-3-72 at 6.30 p.m. There were  12               tables  in  the  room  on  Which  there   were               counting Assistants and the Supervisor on each               table  and  each candidate  had  one  counting               agent  on each table.  The counting  continued               right  up till 2.50 A.M. on  13-3-72.   During               the course  of counting the counting agents of               the petitioner several times objected that  on               tables  2,  3, 4, 5, 10 and 12,  the  Counting               Assistants  and Supervisors were not  properly               bundling  the votes for the  candidates.   The               Petitioner was leading by 239 votes after  the               close  of the third round in spite of all  the               illegalities  and irregularities committed  in               the  counting.  Particularly ’When the  fourth               round  started  the  main  complaint  of   the               counting   agents   was  that   the   counting               Assistants   and  Supervisors  are   preparing               bundles  for  the petitioner of more  than  50               ballot  papers and declaring the same to be  a               bundle  of  50 votes whereas in  the  case  of               respondent  they were including less  than  50               ballot papers in the bundle as required by the               rides.   This  caused a lot of flatter  and  a               complaint  was made to the Returning  Officer.               At  table No. 6 recounting was ordered and  it               was  found  that  76  ballot  papers  of   the               petitioner were included in the bundles of the               respondent   in   the   fourth   round.    The               petitioner  and his counting agents  requested               the Returning Officer that the same illegality

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             or   irregularity  was  being   committed   at               counting tables No. 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 and 12  but               neither   the   Returning  Officer   nor   the               supervisory  staff or the counting  assistants               paid  any  heed  to,  the  complaints  of  the               petitioner.   On  these tables more  than  300               votes  of  the petitioner  have  been  wrongly               counted  and  included in the bundles  of  the               respondent."               "28.   That  about  100  valid  votes  of  the               petitioner  have  been wrongly  and  illegally               rejected  I  by  the  Returning  Officer   and               likewise  about  the same  number  of  invalid               votes  of  the respondent have  been  declared               valid  and  included as valid  votes  for  the               respondent."               "29.   That about 500 votes of the  petitioner               have been wrongly counted and included in the               votes of the respondent."’               "30.   That the petitioner claimed  recount-of               the   votes   on  account   of   the   various               irregularities  and illegalities committed  by               the Returning Officer, some of which have been               stated above by an application dated 13-3-1972               at about 00.50 hours. but the said application               was  rejected by the Returning  Officer  inter               alia  stating doubtful ballot papers  of  each               table at each round were decided after  giving               full               60               opportunity to the candidates as well as their               agents  and  their due objections  removed  at               every stage, notwithstanding the fact that the               petitioner claimed the recount on the  grounds               that  doubtful  and invalid votes  were  being               counted  in favour of the respondent and  also               that   several  votes  for   petitioner   were               included in the bundles of the respondent, the               Returning  Officer  did not  advert  to  these               objections  and declined the  application  for               recount  on totally frivolous  and  irrelevant               grounds.   Again the petitioner moved  another               application  at  about 2.3O  A.M.  before  the               result was declared by the Returning  Officer,               inter  alia  giving the grounds  counting  had               been not only irregular but almost illegal and               partial   and   also   specifying   particular               counting  tables  1, 5, 10 and 12.   The  said               application,  again  was declined by  the  Re-               turning  Officer  on frivolous  grounds.   The               petitioner applied for the copies of both  the               applications for the purposes of this Election               Petition  but the Returning Officer  issued  a               copy  of the one made at 00.50 hours  and  has               declined   to  give  a  copy  of  the   second               application for reasons best known to him."               "  31.   That  the  counting  had  also   been               otherwise  illegal and not in accordance  with               the   prescribed   procedure  and   rules   or               instructions thereby it was incumbent upon the               Returning Officer to satisfy himself that  the               votes   of  valid  ballot  ’papers  had   been               correctly sorted and did not contain any  bal-               lot paper which ought to have been rejected or               ought  to  have been placed in the  bundle  of

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             valid  votes of any other candidate.   He  was               required  to verify by making a test check  of               at  least 5% of the votes to ensure  that  the               bundles do not contain any ballot paper  which               ought  to  be rejected or which  ought  to  be               placed  in the bundle of any other  candidate.               The rules further required to ensure  accuracy               in the counting of votes that 5 % of the total               number of votes or valid ballot papers of each               candidate  shall be counted by  the  Returning               Officer and be was to make a selection of this               5%  in  such manner that it  contains  bundles               pertaining   to  different  candidates.    The               Returning  Officer kept sitting quite  in  his               seat and did not comply with the rules at  all               in  spite of the fact that his  attention  was               drawn  to  the second application for  a  test               check; as a result of which the counting staff               was all the more encouraged and they committed               irregularities  and illegalities in  order  to               assist, help and further the prospectus of the               election of the respondent."   The  respondent totally repudiated these  allegations  and they  also therefore give rise directly to issues 7(a),  (b) and (c) as rightly held by, the learned High Court Judge.   It  is to be remembered that in this case we are still  at the  stage of pleadings and not at the stage of proof.   It has  been  held  by  this  Court  that  charges  of  corrupt practices  under s. 123 of the Representation of the  People Act,   1951  are  quasi-criminal  in  nature,  and   should, there fore,  be  proved satisfactorily as it  has  a  double consequence,  the ,election of the returned candidate  being set aside and the candidate 61 incurring  a subsequent disqualification as well.  All  this would  naturally  be borne in mind when  the  learned  Judge decides a question, whether the corrupt practice alleged has been  established.   All that we wish to emphasise  at  this stage  is that it could not be said that the allegations  in the election petition are vague or general in nature or lack material  particulars  and are as such liable to  be  struck down  as, not raising a triable issue.  As we have  remarked earlier,  the  very  prospect of having to  examine  over  a thousand voters is staggering.. The learned Judge trying the election  petition  should have had  enough.  experience  of trial work both civil and criminal and we do not consider it necessary  to lay down any hard and fast rule as to  how  he should  proceed in the matter of his trial.  He  should,  of course, try to eliminate as much of unnecessary evidence  as possible.   But  this  he can do only with  the  active  and willing cooperation of both the parties.  One. of the things which  he might do is perhaps to receive affidavits  in  the first instance in respect of, say, about 50 votes and on the basis  of  the affidavits and counter affidavits it  may  be possible to decide the question.  If that is not possible he would naturally have to examine the witnesses.  In this case he  may try to the extent possible to reduce  the  necessity for the examination of the witnesses themselves.  This would apply particularly to the case of the absent voters.   There should be very little difficulty about the dead voters.   We do  not wish to Say much on the subject as the procedure  to be adopted would depend; upon the circumstances of each case and each fact sought to be proved.  It would not be feasible to  lay  down any hard and fast rule on  this  subject.   An experienced  Trial  Judge may be expected to deal  with  the

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matter  in a way which would not only give  satisfaction  to both  the parties but also help to expedite the  matter  and dispose of the election petition as quickly as possible. There  is  no  substance in any of the  contentions  of  the appellant  and  the appeal is,  therefore,  dismissed.   The appellant will pay the respondent’s costs. S.B.W.                             Appeal dismissed. 62