HC stays result of governing body election of blind association | Mumbai news

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Thursday stayed the declaration of the results for elections held to elect members to the governing body of an organisation for the blind. Two members of the National Federation of the Blind, Prakash Pandagale and Kishor Gohil, had approached the high court after allegations of malpractices in the elections. Claiming that the total number of votes cast exceeded the number of eligible votes, they had first approached the assistant charity commissioner.

However, as the assistant charity commissioner did not take up the matter, Pandagale and Gohil said they had to approach the vacation bench of the high court which stayed the result declaration. “We find that the counting of votes can proceed on 9 November. However, until the next date of hearing, the results of the election will not be declared,” the vacation bench comprising justice Arif Doctor and justice Somashekhar Sunderesan said.

The National Federation of the Blind is a Mumbai-based organisation that runs institutions across Maharashtra like school for blind girls in Pune and industrial training and rehab centres in Nashik and Aurangabad.