The Allahabad High Court mentioned that by holding the panchayat chunav in Uttar Pradesh and assembly elections in other states, the Election Commission, greater courts and the government failed to fathom the disastrous consequences of the polls. Hearing a petition from a builder in search of protection from arrest, a single-judge bench of Justice Siddharth Verma made the observations even though granting protection from arrest till January 2022 on particular grounds. A case was filed against the Ghaziabad-based builder by UP Police more than an alleged house possession default.
Specifying the particular grounds, the court mentioned that the apprehension of death on account of motives like the present pandemic of novel coronavirus can surely be held to be a ground for grant of anticipatory bail. The court also highlighted in its order how the coronavirus infections have reached villages in the state as the panchayat elections added to the surge.
The court observed that the state lacks preparation and sources for controlling the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The court added that due to the current panchayat elections, a huge quantity of FIRs have been registered in the villages. The judge mentioned that maintaining in view the general circumstance of the villages just after the panchayat elections, a huge quantity of accused persons could be infected and their infection could have gone undetected.
The Allahabad High Court had yesterday expressed its displeasure more than the compensation quantity supplied by the EC and the UP government to the officials who died even though performing poll duty. The court asked the EC and the state government to reconsider the compensation quantity and boost it to the tune of Rs 1 crore.
The Centre and the Election Commission have been beneath fire from opposition and High Courts for holding polls, ignoring the threat of a second wave of COVID-19.