Today, A Shiv Sena spokesperson moved the Bombay High Court challenging former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar’s civic poll nomination, alleging concealment of criminal cases in her affidavit. Susie Shah sought hearing before Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad.
MUMBAI: Today, a spokesperson for Shiv Sena approached the Bombay High Court to contest the civic election nomination of Kishori Pednekar, a former Mumbai mayor and candidate from Shiv Sena (UBT). The spokesperson, Susie Shah, accused Pednekar of concealing criminal cases in her affidavit.
Shah, representing the Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, requested an urgent hearing before a bench led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad.
However, the court declined the immediate hearing, noting that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections are set for January 15, with only a few days remaining. The bench indicated that the matter would be taken up after the elections.
Pednekar is contesting the BMC elections from ward 199 in central Mumbai. In her petition, filed through advocate Kalpesh Joshi, Shah requested that the Returning Officer declare Pednekar’s nomination form as “illegal, invalid and improper” and urged its rejection.
The petition alleges that Pednekar “deliberately hid and suppressed important facts” in her affidavit, including information about multiple FIRs filed against her for serious offenses. It claims that several criminal cases are pending against her, including one related to alleged fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The petition states,
“Pednekar has hidden details about the five FIRs filed against her in various police stations across Mumbai during her tenure as the mayor of Mumbai,”
The petition also argues that by submitting a “false and misleading” nomination form and affidavit, Pednekar misused the electoral process and thus lacks the moral authority to run in the civic elections.
Earlier, The Bombay High Court in an urgent late evening hearing at the Chief Justice’s residence addressed concerns over court employees being assigned duties for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
In an order delivered, the Court barred Municipal Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Bhushan Gagrani from proceeding with his December 29 letter refusing exemption to judicial staff or enforcing directives requiring them to participate in election work.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani informed the Bombay High Court that he had committed a “mistake” by requisitioning court staff for election duty, after the court criticised him for exceeding his authority.