False affidavits: EC to initiate prosecution

Decision on case-by-case basis, HC told

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday informed the Madras High Court that it shall launch criminal prosecution against candidates who had submitted false information in the affidavits submitted by them while filing nominations for the recently-held Assembly election in the State. The submission was made before Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy during the hearing of a case filed by B. Ramamoorthy of Vellore. He had accused former AIADMK Minister K.C. Veeramani of having furnished false information regarding his assets. The petitioner pointed out that he had already filed a writ petition in March this year highlighting the alleged false affidavit filed by the former Minister while contesting from Jollarpet constituency. However, by the time the case got listed for hearing, the last date for rejecting the nominations had expired.