Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS) The plea of Suresh Kalmadi, jailed Congress MP and former chairman of Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, to attend the ongoing monsoon session of parliament was dismissed by the Delhi High Court Tuesday.

Kalmadi is lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail on charges of corruption linked to the 2010 sporting event.

The bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said: “In view of the gravity of the offence and the allegation of huge magnitude, it would be totally inappropriate to grant him permission solely on the ground of freedom of speech inside parliament, on the foundation that he has to meet the constitutional obligation.”

“In our opinion, the submission with regard to constitutional obligation has no ground to grant permission to attend the parliament session,” the judges said.

Kalmadi Monday approached the two-judge bench challenging a single-judge bench’s refusal earlier to allow him to attend parliament. He is a Lok Sabha member elected from Pune, Maharashtra.

The division bench took note of his plea and asked whether a member of parliament facing a criminal case was entitled to attend session.

Turning down Kalmadi’s application earlier, Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw imposed a cost of litigation on him and asked him to deposit the money in the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

“The petitioner is not entitled to the relief claimed, there is no merit in the petition. The same is dismissed with cost of Rs.1 lakh to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund,” said Endlaw in his Aug 5 order.

Kalmadi was arrested April 25. The CBI May 20 filed its first charge sheet in the corruption case against him and 10 others.