Ramesh Bidhuri gets notice challenging his election win

New Delhi : The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to South Delhi parliamentarian Ramesh Bidhuri over a plea filed by AAP leader Raghav Chadha challenging his election defeat. Justice Sanjiv Narula sought a response from BJP leader Bidhuri and others over Chadha's plea and posted the matter for hearing on September 2.

The court also directed the concerned returning officer to preserve the records relating to the election. Chadha stated that the winning candidate Bidhuri "wilfully and intentionally" concealed the facts regarding a FIR against him in Bihar's Muzaffarpur.

The FIR against the Bidhuri was registered under sections 504 (intentional insult), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 153 (provocation with intent to cause riot) and 153(a) (promoting enmity between different groups) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The Aam Aadmi Party leader alleged that Bidhuri did not divulge the source of his income. "The BJP leader ex facie declared false incomes in respect of his income, his spouse's income as well as one of his dependants," the petition submitted.

The petitioner pleaded that the impugned results declaring the BJP candidate the winner be declared "void"."Chadha, who secured the second highest votes in the constituency, be declared as the returned candidate (elected representative) for the South Delhi parliamentary constituency," the petition stated. Bidhuri won the Lok Sabha election beating Chadha by a margin of over 3.6 lakh votes.