No interim stay on Amarinder expulsion

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to allow former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to attend the proceedings of the Assembly.....

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to allow

former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to attend the proceedings of the Assembly whose budget session starts on February 27.

A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan declined to grant any interim relief to Singh,who was expelled from the Punjab Legislative Assembly last September for his alleged involvement in the Amritsar land scam.

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“We are not inclined to pass any interim order,” the Bench,also comprising Justices R V Raveendran,P Sathasivam,J M Panchal and R M Lodha,said declining the plea that Singh should be allowed to participate in the proceedings of the House,including the budget session without the right to vote.

The matter will now be heard at length on April 28 as both the sides agreed that it must be decided at the earliest.

Earlier a three-judge bench,which referred the matter to a five-judge Bench,had refused to grant interim stay on the expulsion of Singh from the Assembly.

“This court had already rejected the interim prayers of staying the expulsion,” the Bench said referring to the October 3,2008 order of the three-judge Bench.