The Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a writ petition which sought a direction to appoint a Central Government official as an observer during the counting of votes polled in all wards of Sivakasi Corporation. The court said, there was no necessity for such a direction since it had already ordered CCTV coverage of the entire voting as well as counting process in all urban local bodies across the State.
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Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy also pointed out that the litigant, P. Ponsakthivel of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), had not pointed out to any rule which provides for appointment of central government officers as observers. The judges wondered what was the necessity for the petition when the court had already ordered video recording.
The judges also rejected yet another request made by the petitioner’s counsel seeking police protection for the rival candidates on the day of counting of votes. When the judges wanted to know whether the petitioner was subjected to any violent attack so far, the counsel replied in the negative. Hence, the court said that it did not find any necessity for ordering police protection too.
The first Division Bench also refused to entertain a similar request made for appointing observers from other Taluks for the counting of votes of seventh ward in Mudukalathur Town Panchayat in Ramanathapuram district.