HC stays BMC chief’s letters asking court staff to report for civic polls duty, questions his power

MUMBAI: (Dec 31) The Bombay High Court has stayed letters issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation commissioner asking the staff of subordinate courts to report for civic polls duty, questioning his power and jurisdiction.

A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Ashwin Bhobe, during a special hearing on Tuesday night at the chief justice’s residence, said the BMC commissioner, also acting as the district election officer, is restrained from issuing any letter or communication to the staff of the HC or subordinate courts requisitioning their services for election duty.

The bench in its order noted that the HC’s Administrative Judges’ Committee had in September 2008 decided that the staff of the high court and all subordinate courts would be exempted from election duty.