No judicial probe: HC

March 23: The Bombay High Court today rejected two petitions praying for a judicial inquiry into alleged malpractices by advocates in last month8217;s elections to the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice M B Shah and A Y Sakhare, stated that since an inquiry has already been initiated by the Azad Maidan police, there is no need for a second inquiry into the polls. The chief justice said that state Advocate General C J Sawant, 8220;who is a responsible official and a member of the Bar Council8221;, has taken the initiative in filing a criminal complaint with regard to the 340-odd bogus ballot papers polled during the elections.

The division bench directed the police to expedite the inquiry and report to the court at the earliest.

All petitioners are contestants who were defeated in the February 5 elections to the 25-member body. The petitioners claim that the malpractices are not limited to the 343 fake postal ballot papers.

The investigation by the petitioners showedthe 549 ballot papers which were summarily rejected as invalid should also be reconsidered due to the possibility of doctored ink marks and whitening on the ballot papers.