Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)

Kundapur, Jul 31: A mistake committed by a government official has forced the person at the receiving end, to fight for her rights for three long years, before justice could be restored.

Shobha, supported by BJP, had got 377 votes as against her opponent Nagaratna who mustered only 359 votes at the election held for Jadkal gram panchayat in the year 2005. However, because of a grave mistake committed by the returning officer, the winning certificate was issued in favour of Nagaratna, in spite of protests. On the very next day of the declaration of results, Shobha had approached assistant commissioner and the taluk tahsildar for reversal of the decision, citing the injustice. But her plea was turned down by them.

Feeling helpless and aggrieved, Shobha filed suit in Second Additional Court, which after going through relevant records and examining witnesses, declared that Shobha was the winning candidate. However, Nagaratna approached the High Court through a writ petition, for praying for an order to turn down this verdict. The High Court too, after hearing arguments and examining documents, has since upheld the judgement of the local court. Udupi district unit of BJP Lawyers' Forum through a press statement issued by its district president K Balakrishna Shetty has said that the fact that a defeated candidate functioned as member and president of an elected body because of the negligence on the part of a government official, is a mockery of democracy.