Office of profit case SC to announce fate of 12 MLAs today

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jul 25 :  The Supreme Court is likely to announce the final judgment on the disqualification case/fate of 12 MLAs, who were appointed as Parliamentary Secretaries in Manipur for holding office of profit, tomorrow.
The date was fixed after the hearing of the case before the Supreme Court on July 5 as per a petition filed by Congress MLA DD Thaisii and other Special Leave Petitions filed before the Court.
Mention may be made that the Congress MLA filed the writ petition before the Supreme Court, seeking direction to the Election Commission of India to give its opinion to the Governor of Manipur regarding the disqualification of the 12 MLAs.
The Election Commission of India in March, gave its opinion in favour of the 12 MLAs on the basis of two laws which granted them exemption.  The two laws have however become defunct.
The 12 MLAs were sworn in as Parliamentary Secretaries on March 15, 2017, the day Chief Minister N Biren and his Council of Ministers were sworn in.
After hearing the petition filed by Congress MLAs Surjakumar Okram and DD Thaisii, the High Court of Manipur passed a judgement on September 18, 2020 which categorically stated that the Manipur Parliamentary Secretary (Appointment, Salary and Allowances & Miscellaneous Provision) Act 2012 and the Manipur Parliamentary Secretary (Appointment, Salary and Allowances and Miscellaneous Provision) Repealing Act 2018 are unconstitutional.
The High Court also made it clear that the Manipur Parliamentary Secretary (Appointment, Salary and Allowances and Miscellaneous Provision) Repealing Act 2018 was invalid.
The 12 MLAs who were appointed as Parliamentary Secretaries are L Susindro (Khurai AC), N Indrajit (Kshetrigao AC), L Rameshwor (Keirao AC), Th Satyabrata (Yaiskul AC), H Dingo (Sekmai AC), Dr S Ranjan (Konthoujam AC), S Subashchandra (Naoriya Pakhanglakpa AC) who has since resigned from the Assembly, K Robindro (Mayang Imphal AC), Leishiyo Keishing (Phungyar AC), Khasim Vashum (Chingai AC), Awangbow Newmai (Tamei AC) and Asab Uddin (Jiribam AC).