IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH. C.W.P. No. 13209 of 2008 DATE OF DECISION : 15.09.2008 Manjit Kaur .... PETITIONER Versus State of Punjab and others ..... RESPONDENTS CORAM :- HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SATISH KUMAR MITTAL HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE JASWANT SINGH Present: Mr. Jatinder Singla, Advocate, for the petitioner. Mr. N.S. Virk, Addl. A.G., Punjab, for respondents No.1 to 3. Mr. Sukhjinder Singh, Advocate, for respondent No.4. * * * SATISH KUMAR MITTAL , J. The petitioner has filed this petition under Article 226/227 of the Constitution of India for setting aside the notification dated 27.5.2008, issued by respondent No.1, and for quashing the election of Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat, Village Giga Majra, and for issuing a direction to respondents No. 3 to elect the petitioner, who has been elected as a Panch of the aforesaid Gram Panchayat from the reserved category of women, as Sarpanch, which is reserved for the category of women. Reply on behalf of respondents No.1 to 3 has been filed in CWP No. 13209 of 2008 -2- Court today. The same is taken on record and its copy has been handed over to counsel for the petitioner. In this case, respondent No.4, who has been elected as a Panch of the aforesaid Gram Panchayat from the reserved category of SC women, has been elected as Sarpanch, as she was permitted to contest the election of Sarpanch against the reserved category of women. This controversy has already been decided by this Court in CWP No. 13738 of 2008, titled as Sukhjit Kaur versus State of Punjab and others, decided on 5.8.2008, wherein it has been held that any woman, whether elected from the reserved category of Scheduled Caste (women) or a General category or from the reserved category of women is fully eligible to contest the election of the office of Sarpanch, which is reserved for the category of women. Accordingly, in view of the decision of this Court in the aforesaid CWP No. 13738 of 2008, there is no merit in this petition and the same is, hereby, dismissed. ( SATISH KUMAR MITTAL ) JUDGE September 15, 2008 ( JASWANT SINGH ) ndj JUDGE