New Delhi: Anil Masih, the returning officer for the Chandigarh Mayor polls held on January 30 this year, tendered an unconditional apology to the Supreme Court in response to a show-cause notice issued to him for allegedly making a false statement before the top court.
The SC had asked him to show cause as to why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against him for making a “false statement” that the ballots were invalid. Appearing for Masih, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi told a three-judge bench presided by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, “I have made an apology which is completely unconditional.”
“He will withdraw the first affidavit and surrender to the magnanimity of this court,” Rohatgi said. Taking note, the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said the court will hear the matter next in July.
Masih, who was pulled up by the top court February 19 for allegedly defacing ballot papers during the mayoral elections, had said in his first affidavit that before his court appearance “he was “subjected to incessant criticism, name calling and ad hominems by members of political parties”, following the leak of a purported video recording of the election process, and it “put” him and his “family members, under immense mental trauma and stress”.
He said he “was suffering from the aforesaid medical issues, so much so that on 10.02.2024” he “was constrained to consult the Psychiatry Department of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education Research, Chandigarh (PGIMER)”.
