RS polls: Court to decide on temporary bail pleas of Deshmukh, Malik on June 9

Mumbai: A special court here on Wednesday reserved till Thursday its order on the bail pleas of former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh and state minister Nawab Malik seeking the one-day relief to cast their votes in the June 10 Rajya Sabha elections.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which had opposed the pleas of Deshmukh and Malik saying prisoners don't have the voting rights under the Representation of the People (RP) Act, said a person confined in prison cannot vote in any elections, "whether he is under sentence or an undertrial that doesn't make a difference".

Deshmukh's lawyer argued that let the legislature decide on the floor (about his vote) and hat he can go under

escort.

Malik's advocate also told the court that the validity of the vote can be decided by the returning officer.

Deshmukh and Malik, both senior NCP leaders, are currently lodged in jail in connection with different money laundering cases.

The duo had last week filed applications seeking temporary bail before special judge R N Rokde.

On Wednesday, all the sides completed their arguments for and against the bail.