Bilkish Bibi And Another v. State Of West Bengal And ORS.

SL 32 26.07.2023 AGM In The High Court At Calcutta Constitutional Writ Jurisdiction Appellate Side W.P.A 17126 of 2023 Bilkish Bibi & Anr.

-versus The State of West Bengal & Ors.

Mr. S. P. Lahiri Mr. Habibur Rahaman Mr. Rajesh Naskar ...For the Petitioners.

Ms. Sonal Sinha Mr. Tarun Kumar Chatterjee Mr. Sujit Gupta Mr. Sayan Datta Mr. Soumen Chatterjee ...For the Election Commissioenr.

Mr. Santanu Mitra Ms. Raha Halder ... For the State.

Md. Nawroz Rabbar Ms. Anjana Mehabub Mr. Muhammad Jawwod ... For the private respondent.

The petitioners contested the Panchayat General Elections, 2023.

Issue has been raised with regard to the discrepancy in the number of votes polled and the number of ballot papers counted.

It appears that complaint was lodged before the Panchayat Returning Officer on 16th July, 2023. The said complaint was lodged long after the declaration of the result.

In view of the above, no relief is granted to the petitioner in the instant case.

Dismissal of the writ petition will however not stand in the way of the petitioner to approach the appropriate forum with an election petition for redressal of their grievances, if so advised. The CCTV/Video footages and the ballot papers in respect of the concerned constituency shall be properly preserved and be produced before the Court as and when directed.

Urgent certified photocopy of this order, if applied for, be supplied to the parties expeditiously on compliance of usual legal formalities.

( Amrita Sinha, J.)