SC stays Madras HC order that declared lone AIADMK MP P Ravindhranath's election invalid

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Supreme Court has stayed a Madras High Court order that declared as «null and void» the 2019 election of expelled AIADMK member P Ravindhranath from Tamil Nadu's Theni parliamentary constituency. A bench of justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta admitted the appeal filed by Ravindhranath against the high court order for hearing and issued notice to P Milany, who filed the petition challenging his election from the Theni constituency.

«Meanwhile, operation of the impugned judgment and order dated July 6, 2023, passed by the High Court of Judicature at Madras, shall remain stayed. Resultantly, the appellant (P Ravindhranath) shall be allowed to continue as a Member of Parliament of the 17th Lok Sabha for all intents and purposes till further orders,» the bench said in an order passed on Friday.

Ravindhranath is the son of deposed AIADMK leader and former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam. Milany alleged before the high court that Ravindhranath suppressed various materials while filing his nomination for the election, including the particulars of his movable and immovable assets and liabilities, and those of his family members.

The suppression of the facts materially affected the election, he complained in his election petition. On July 6, the high court said, «Admittedly, in this case, as spoken by the returning officer, the nomination of the third respondent (Ravindhranath) was accepted by the returning officer on the date of scrutiny.