IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH C.W.P. No. 4825 of 2009 Date of Decision: March 26, 2009 Sulakhan Singh. … Petitioner Versus District Electoral Officer, District Ferozepur. … Respondent CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE S.D. ANAND. Present : Mr. Anureet S. Sidhu, Advocate for the petitioner. S.D. Anand, J. The learned counsel for the petitioner states at the Bar that the election petition before the respondent - Tribunal had been filed on 17.06.2008, but has not been disposed of till then. The grievance, in the context, is that the Tribunal is postponing the hearing on the virtual drop of a hat. In support of the advocated plea for the time bound disposal of the election petition of the indicated category, the learned counsel relies upon the provision of Section 80 of the Punjab State Election Commission Act, 1994, which is reproduced hereunder for facility of reference:- “Section 80. Trial of Election petitions. – (1) The Election Tribunal shall dismiss an election petition C.W.P. No. 4825 of 2009 which does not comply with the provisions of Section 76 or Section 77 or Section 103. (2) Where more than one election petitions are presented to the Election Tribunal in respect of the same matter, the Presiding Officer of the Election Tribunal may, in his discretion, try them separately or in one or more groups. (3) Any candidate not already a respondent shall, upon application made by him to the Election Tribunal within fourteen days from the date of commencement of the trial of the election petition and subject to any order as to security for costs which may be made by the Election Tribunal, be entitled to be joined as a respondent. (4) The Election Tribunal may, upon such terms as to costs and otherwise, as it may deem fit, allow the particulars of any corrupt practice alleged in the petition to be amended or amplified in such manner, as may in its opinion be necessary for ensuring a fair and effective trial of the petition, but shall not allow any amendment of the petition which will have the effect of introducing particulars of a corrupt practice which has not been previously alleged in the petition. 2 C.W.P. No. 4825 of 2009 (5) The trial of an election petition shall, so far as is practicable consistently with the interest of justice in respect of the trial be continued from day to day until the conclusion, unless the Election Tribunal finds the adjournment of the trial beyond the following day to be necessary for reasons to be recorded in writing. (6) Every election petition shall be tried as expeditiously as possible and every Endeavour shall be made to conclude the trial within a period of six months from the date on which the election petition is presented to the Election Tribunal for trial.” It would be apparent from a perusal of the above quoted provision of the Act that the Tribunal is ordained to make every endeavour to conclude the trial within a period of six months from the date on which the election petition is presented to it for trial. In the light thereof, the petition is disposed of in limine, with a direction to the learned Tribunal to dispose of the election petition within a period of three months from the next date of hearing. March 26, 2009 ( S.D. Anand ) vkd Judge 3