HC directs Registry to notify death of Mohan in gazette

Chennai, Nov 4 : Madras High Court today directed its Registry to notify the death of former Madurai Parliament member Mohan in the gazette, who had filed an election petition challenging the election of Union Fertilizers Minister and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's son M K Alagiri.

When the election petition came up for hearing before Justice V Dhanapalan, counsel who appeared for Mohan filed a memo, stating that the petitioner suddendly died on October 30 in a hospital at Chennai.

''It is a peculiar situation,'' the judge said and directed the registry to notify the death of Mohan in the gazette. The judge also directed the registry to post the matter after four weeks to decide the future course of action in the case.

Former CPI(M) MP and Tamil Nadu unit member P Mohan died in a private hospital here after a brief illness.

Mohan had contested the Lok Sabha elections in May this year from Madurai but lost to M K Alagiri. During the course of elections he was hospitalised and underwent surgery.

In his election petition, Mohan, alleged that Alagiri and his men had bribed or sought to woo at least 70 per cent of the electorate with financial inducements. 'Besides bribing voters, DMK cadres paid Rs 500 each to women who performed aarathi for Alagiri. Free dhotis and sarees too were distributed in many villages,'' he claimed.

According to Mohan, public relation officers in state service abused their official positions and acted as agents of Alagiri.

Besides, he used his influence to pressure transport corporations to ply buses to several areas, he contended and said the transfer of Madurai City Commissioner of Police Nandabalan, established the commission of corrupt practices.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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