HC bins ex-MP’s plea for supply of poll info

Cuttack: The Orissa high court dismissed a petition seeking intervention for supply of information under Form 17C with respect to to Jajpur Lok Sabha constituency, the results of which were declared on June 4.
Form 17C records the voter turnout in every polling station of a constituency.
Former MP (Jajpur) Sarmistha Sethi of BJD who lost to Dr Rabi Narayan Behera of BJP by 1,587 votes in the 2024 general polls had moved the high court after the district election officer refused to supply the Form 17C she had sought through an application by her election agent.
The single judge bench of Justice K R Mohapatra on July 1 said,“To supply the copy of Form 17C, the strongroom has to be opened. Since the statutory period for filing of election petition has not yet expired, it would not be proper on the part of this court to issue such a direction at this stage more particularly when the opening of the seal of the strongroom before the statutory period is over, which may affect the sanctity of the entire selection process.”