Page 1

1

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

CIVIL  APPELLATE JURISDICTION  

CIVIL APPEAL NO. 8333    OF 2013

(Arising out of SLP(C) No.2372/2011)

RAGHVENDRA KUMAR                          Appellant(s)

                    :VERSUS:

PRABAL KUMAR & ORS.                        Respondent(s)

O R D E R

Leave granted.

2. Heard  Mr.  Imtiaz  Ahmed,  learned  counsel  

appearing for the appellant, Mr. D.K. Singh, learned  

counsel  appearing  for  respondent  No.1  and  Mr.  

Rajesh Kumar Maurya, learned counsel appearing for  

respondent  Nos.2  to  5.  This  appeal  seeks  to  

challenge the interim order dated 8.10.2010 passed  

by the Division Bench of the Allahabad High Court in  

Civil Misc. Writ Petition No.62085 of 2010, whereby  

the order dated 5.10.2010 passed by the Returning  

Officer  of  Block  Madhogarh,  District  Jalaun,  

cancelling the  nomination of  respondent No.1,  was  

stayed.

Page 2

2

3. The  first  respondent  wanted  to  contest  

election  for  Pradhan  of  Gram  Panchayat  Aheta,  

District  Jalaun  and  he,  therefore,  filed  his  

nomination paper which was accepted.  Thereafter, by  

an  order  dated  5.10.2010  passed  by  the  Returning  

Officer  of  Block  Madhogarh,  District  Jalaun,  his  

nomination was cancelled in view of his conviction  

under Section 307 of IPC.  It was argued before the  

High Court that the first respondent was released on  

bail  by  virtue  of  an  order  passed  by  a  learned  

Single  Judge  of  the  Allahabad  High  Court  on  

25.8.2005 in Criminal Appeal No.3676 of 2005. Apart  

from  this  order,  the  impugned  order  accepted  the  

submission  that  the  conviction  of  the  first  

respondent  did  not  involve  moral  turpitude  and  

therefore, the order dated 5.10.2010 passed by the  

Returning  Officer  was  stayed.  Consequently,  

respondent  No.1  contested  the  election  and  got  

elected as Pradhan of Gram Panchayat, Aheta.

4. Learned counsel for the appellant submitted  

that the order dated 25.8.2005 passed by the learned  

Single  Judge  was  to  admit  the  Criminal  Appeal

Page 3

3

No.3676  of  2005  and  suspend  the  sentence  against  

respondent  No.1,  but  his  conviction  very  much  

remained. Since it was a conviction under Section  

307 IPC, it would certainly amount to an offence  

involving  moral  turpitude  and,  therefore,  

the Returning Officer was right in cancelling the  

nomination of respondent No.1 and the High Court had  

no reason to interfere therewith.   

5. Mr. D.K. Singh, learned counsel appearing for  

the first respondent, on the other hand, submitted  

that  the  suspension  of  sentence  by  the  learned  

Single Judge of the High Court has to be taken into  

consideration, which  the Division  Bench has  done,  

while  granting  stay  of  the  order  passed  by  the  

Returning Officer.   

6. We  have  noted  the  submissions  of  both  the  

counsel.  In  our  view,  the  order  passed  by  the  

Division Bench of the High Court is patently wrong.  

Respondent No.1 was convicted under Section 307 IPC.  

It is another matter that he was released on bail,  

but  the  release  on  bail  cannot  be  equated  with  

acquittal from the offence for which he was already

Page 4

4

convicted by the trial Court, and against which an  

appeal was pending its decision in the High Court.  

In  the  circumstances,  we  allow  this  appeal,  set  

aside the order passed by the Division Bench of the  

Allahabad High Court. Both the counsel having made  

their  submissions  on  the  merits  of  Writ  Petition  

No.62085  of  2010,  nothing  further  remains  to  be  

argued  in  the  High  Court.  Therefore,  this  writ  

petition  shall  as  well  stand  dismissed.  

Consequently, the first  respondent will vacate the  

office of Pradhan of Village Aheta Gram Panchayat,  

Block  Madhogarh,  District  Jalaun.  The  appeal  is  

allowed  in  these  terms.   No  order  as  to  costs.  

Registry is directed to send a copy of this order to  

Respondent No.4, District Election Officer, Jalaun,  

and Registrar (Judicial) of Allahabad High Court to  

mark the above Writ Petition No.62085 of 2010 as  

dismissed.     

.........................J (H.L. GOKHALE)

........................J  (J. CHELAMESWAR)

New Delhi; September 16, 2013.