Northeast Desk, 9th April: The Supreme Court has upheld the 2019 election of Independent MLA Karikho Kri from the Tezu Assembly constituency in Arunachal Pradesh, overturning the decision of the Gauhati High Court.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court stated that candidates contesting elections are not required to disclose every moveable property unless they are of substantial value or reflect a luxurious lifestyle. The bench, comprising Justices Anirudhha Bose and Sanjay Kumar, concluded that the non-disclosure of three vehicles owned by Kri’s wife and son did not constitute grounds for disqualification.
The election petition, which had challenged Kri’s election, alleged that he had exercised undue influence by failing to disclose the vehicles while filing his nomination. However, the Court found that the vehicles had either been gifted or sold prior to Kri’s nomination, and thus, they could not be considered as still owned by his family.
Therefore, the Court ruled that the non-disclosure of the vehicles did not constitute a corrupt practice under Section 123(2) of the Representation of the Peoples Act 1951, thereby affirming Kri’s election victory.
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