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Karunanidhi must face prosecution, EC tells HC

While assembly elections in Tamil Nadu concluded in May 2011, the returning officer of the Tiruvarur constituency, where Karunanidhi contested and won, lodged a complaint with a magistrate court in Tiruvarur in December 2013 seeking his prosecution for non-furnishing of full particulars of his properties while filing his nomination.

On 3 June, the judicial magistrate took cognizance of the matter and issued summons to Karunanidhi, directing him to appear in court on 7 March. Seeking the quashing of the complaint, and alleging malafide action by a state government officer who had functioned as returning officer in 2011, Karunanidhi moved the high court. The court stayed all further proceedings and dispensed with his court appearance too.

Denying Karunanidhi’s allegations, the then returning officer and revenue divisional officer of Tiruvarur P Paramasivam filed a counter-affidavit on Wednesday, stating that ‘false declaration’ made by Karunanidhi exposed him to prosecution. “False declaration, as per the decision of the Supreme Court, may not be a ground to reject the nomination paper, but it certainly is a ground for institution of prosecution. Otherwise, the entire purpose of the legislation would be defeated,” he said.
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