Students named in criminal cases can be stopped from contesting polls: HC

The Allahabad High Court today said that if a chargesheet has been filed against a person in a criminal case, he could be prevented from contesting a students' union election. It rejected the contention of a student that unless a court takes cognizance of the chargesheet and issues summons, no criminal case would be considered pending against him.

The court also upheld the decision of the college concerned not to hold elections in view of the disturbing environment on the campus due to which the election officer had to resign, saying that conducting students' union polls in such an environment would be contrary to the aim and objective of the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations.

However, the court said that the petitioner was free to approach the University's Grievance Redressal Cell with regards to his nomination.

A single-judge bench of Justice A P Sahi passed the order while hearing a petition filed by Alok Kumar Singh, an MA student of Murli Manohar Town Post-Graduate Degree College in Ballia, affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth University of Varanasi. On July 24, a case was registered against the petitioner and a chargesheet filed on October 6. Singh filed his nomination on October 5 for the president's post in the student polls, which was rejected. He challenged the action but the court upheld the college order.

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