The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday heard the State Assembly Speaker’s Tribunal plea challenging the High Court’s stay of its notice to BJP legislature party leader Babulal Marandi.
The division bench of Chief Justice Ravi Ranjan and Justice S.N. Prasad has set the next date of hearing for January 19 after hearing both sides. For the Speaker, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appeared while Marandi was represented by Senior Advocate R.N. Sahay.
During the hearing, Kapil Sibal filed an affidavit before the Court and asked not to take further action on suo motu cognizance. On the direction of the High Court on Thursday, on behalf of Babulal Marandi, a rejoinder affidavit was filed before the Court.
BJP leader Babulal Marandi has cited the 2006 Disqualification Manual of the Legislative Assembly, challenging the suo motu cognizance taken by the Legislative Assembly Tribunal under the 10th Schedule. Marandi challenged this by filing a petition in the High Court, on which a stay was given on December 17.
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After this, the matter reached the Supreme Court. On January 12, the petition filed by the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly in the Supreme Court was rejected in the anti-defection case. The Apex Court then directed the Jharkhand High Court to complete its hearing in the case of anti-defection process and give its verdict.