Poll Officer in Chandigarh Mayor Election Tenders Unconditional Apology before SC

Anil Masih, the former presiding officer of Chandigarh mayoral polls, tendered an unconditional apology before a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud.

New Delhi:Former presiding officer of the Chandigarh mayoral polls, Anil Masih, who was slammed by the apex court for defacing ballot papers, on Friday tendered an unconditional apology before the Supreme Court.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Masih, submitted before a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra that his client has rendered an unconditional apology.

"We have rendered an unconditional apology.....He will withdraw the first affidavit and surrender to the magnanimity of this court”, said Rohatgi. Senior advocate A M Singhvi sought strict action against Masih for attempting to rig the election. Rohatgi stressed that he is rendering an unconditional apology. After a brief hearing in the matter, the apex court said it will take up the matter in July.

Masih, in the previous affidavit, had said that when he had made the statement before the apex court on February 19, he was reeling under depression and anxiety.

In February, the Supreme Court had quashed the decision by Masih to declare the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidate as the winner of Chandigarh mayoral polls, after a video of Masih defacing ballot papers went viral.

The Supreme Court was hearing a petition filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Kuldeep Kumar alleging fraud in returning officer (RO) Masih's decision of January 30 to declare BJP's Manoj Sonkar (since resigned) as the Chandigarh Mayor.