MARGAO: The High Court of Bombay at Goa set aside the Election Commission’s order disqualifying Georgina Mascarenhas from the post of Majorda-Utorda-Calata Deputy Sarpanch. Georgina had filed a petition before the court on June 26, challenging her disqualification by the Election Commissioner M Modassir, and Coram C V Bhadang allowed it on the merit that the she wasn’t given enough time to place her side.
The Election Commission on June 30 asked the Panchayat Secretary to furnish related documents and the next hearing has been kept for July 7. The court also asked the EC to complete the enquiry within a month.
After hearing both parties, namely Alex Pereira and Georgina Mascarenhas, the court observed that the EC, after adjourning the hearing once, passed the disqualification order at the very next hearing. Georgina’s council also questioned the haste in which the EC acted without checking the genuineness of the bills, which were produced to prove the allegation of corruption against her.
The hearing has been now remanded for a fresh decision.
