Digital Desk, Delhi. In a major relief to the Sarpanch of a Gram Panchayat in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh, the Supreme Court has granted eight weeks exemption from surrender. The sarpanch has been convicted in a criminal case and had moved the top court challenging the high court order.
Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice J.K. The vacation bench of Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih, while hearing the petition of the Sarpanch, directed that he should apply to the Madhya Pradesh High Court for exemption from surrender.
"While considering that application, the High Court may sympathetically take into account the fact that if the petitioner is asked to surrender, there is a possibility that he will be suspended from the public post to which he has been elected by the majority of the villagers," the bench said.
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In fact, the Madhya Pradesh High Court had earlier ordered that unless the Sarpanch surrenders before the trial court, the criminal revision petition filed against the dismissal of his appeal by the Sessions Court cannot be heard. Challenging this order, the Sarpanch had approached the Supreme Court.
Hearing the case, the Supreme Court said that it would be justified to give eight weeks' relief to the Sarpanch for surrender as a pre-condition for hearing the criminal revision petition. This order of the court is currently being seen as a big legal relief for the Sarpanch.