IMPHAL, April 26: The Manipur High court has fixed the date to conduct hearing on case No. MC (PIL) No. 3 of 2013 against the appointment of five congress MLAs as Parliamentary Secretary with the Government of Manipur issuing an order on October 6, 2012 and the Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh administering an oath of office and secrecy.
A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Manohar Spre and Justice N Kotiswar Singh of the Manipur High Court has scheduled the hearing on the case against appointment of five Parliamentary Secretaries for May 2, 2013.
When the proceedings of the court started today, it was prepared to take up the hearing on the case but Shri Bishwajit, Councel of Parliamentary Secretary Mairembam of Youth Affairs and Sports and Tourism representing the five parliamentary Secretaries appealed to the court to give him time to study the copy of the petition saying that he received a copy of the petition in the case filed with the court two or three days back only. When the court asked him how much time he wanted to study following the appeal made by Counsel Shri Bishwajit on behalf of five parliamentary secretaries out of 10 respondents, he made his request for three weeks time.
However, Th Ibohal, Councel on behalf of the petitioner of the case, Dr. Khomdon Singh Lisam asserted that he filed a case on April 17, 2013 to stay the order for appointment five MLAs as parliamentary Secretaries with an interim order being passed before the passing of the final judgement as request for giving more time has been sought repeatedly, a long time has been taken and the matter has been postponed for a long time till now after the first hearing was conducted on January 17, 2013.
When the Petitioner’s counsel was asked how long a time would be appropriate, the counsel said that some days can be given as tomorrow and day after tomorrow are holidays in the court. Following this, the court scheduled the hearing on the case for May 2, 2013.
It may be mentioned that of 10 respondents in the case, Advocate General, Manipur on behalf of four respondents, government of Manipur have filed affidavits with the court on April 25.