AMARJEET CHAUDHARY, J. - (1.) IN this petition, the petitioner-Jang Singh, who is resident of Village Malikpur, Tehsil and District Mansa, has challenged the election of respondent No. 4, who was declared elected for the office of Sarpanch of Village Malikpur, Tehsil Mansa. The election has been impugned on the ground that the votes of certains persons, who are reported to have died or are serving in the Army and posted outside the village, have been polled. In order to substantiate the allegation, the petition has placed on record lists of persons, who according to the petitioner, are dead or are serving in the Army and were not present in the village on the day of polling and their votes have been polled at the behest of Ex-Minister Baldev Singh.
(2.) THE other plea of the petitioner is that the Returning Officer had submitted a complaint to the Deputy Commissioner, Mansa, in which he had stated that the Ex-Minister and his supporters had threatened him of dire consequences. The argument of the learned counsel for the petitioner is that the election was not fair and coercive methods were adopted by the returned candidate, his supporters and Ex-Minister, Baldev Singh.
(3.) RESPONDENT No. 2, Dr. Swaran Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Mansa has filed written statement on behalf of respondents 1 to 3, controverting the stand of the petitioner. Respondent No. 3 has also filed separate reply in which he has stated that he had made a complaint to the Deputy Commissioner, to the effect that supporters of respondent No. 4 had not allowed to conduct the election smoothly.;