Srinagar, Aug 22: The High Court of J&K and Ladakh today “exempted till further orders” Chief Secretary and Chief Election Officer of Ladakh from personal appearance before it in connection with a contempt petition filed by National Conference regarding allotment of “plough” symbol to the party for ensuing LAHDC, Kargil polls.
A single bench of Justice Sindhu Sharma passed the orders on an application filed by Chief Secretary and the CEO, urging the court to exempt them from personal appearance with the contention that Union Territory of Ladakh has filed a special leave petition before the Supreme Court against the court’s judgment and order dated 9 and 14 August respectively.
The SLP, the officers said, was listed before the Supreme Court on August 22 and has now been listed for hearing on August 25. Therefore, they said, till the matter was heard by the top court, the proceedings in the contempt petition be deferred and the duo be exempted from personal appearance. “Since the Supreme Court is already seized of the matter, therefore, respondent Nos. 1 and 2 (Chief Secretary and CEO) are exempted from personal appearance till further orders from this court,” the court said.
On the last date of the hearing in the contempt plea filed by National Conference for defiance of the orders, the court had directed the Chief Secretary and the CEO to appear in person if the plough symbol was not allotted to the party by today being the last date for filing nominations.
According to a notification issued by the election department on August 5, the election to 26 seats of the 30-member Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, is scheduled for September 10 and the counting of votes will take place four days later.
The Ladakh administration had approached the Division Bench of the court on August 14 against the single bench order of August 9 which directed the NC to approach the office of the Election Department of the Administration of Ladakh for notifying the reserved symbol (Plough) already allotted to it for the polls. The order of the single bench was upheld by the Division Bench on August 14.
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