NEW DELHI: The Election Commission will on Monday begin final hearing in the office-of-profit case involving 20 MLAs of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi.
The AAP had challenged the EC’s decision to disqualify them in the office-of-profit case on the grounds that the commission had rejected their request for cross-examination of the petitioner.
In its 70-page order on July 17, the EC said: “There is no occasion and need for the cross-examination of the petitioner as he is not a witness in the present proceedings and the respondents have failed to make out a case for calling any witness as pleaded in their applications. Therefore, this Commission dismisses the applications under consideration.”
The demand will lead to unnecessary delay, the commission added and fixed July 23 for final arguments in the case.
The poll panel had recommended the disqualification of the 20 MLAs, who held the post of parliamentary secretaries, on January 19. The MLAs has moved Delhi High Court against the order. They had also sought cross-examination of the petitioner Prashant Patel.
As on July 17, the EC had held six hearing in the office-of-profit case.