(Dipak Misra, C.J. and A.M. Khanwilkar, J.)
Edappadi K. Palaniswami ___________________________ Petitioner;
v.
T.T.V. Dhinakaran and Others _____________________ Respondent(s).
Petition for Special Leave to Appeal (C) No. 7258/2018, decided on March 28, 2018
(IA No. 38949/2018-Exemption From Filing C/C of the Impugned Judgment) With SLP(C) No. 7552/2018 (XIV) (For Admission and I.R. and IA No. 41044/2018-Filing C/C of the Trial Ct. Judgment and IA No. 41046/2018-Permission to File Lengthy List of Dates and IA No. 41599/2018-Permission to File Additional Documents) SLP(C) No. 7819/2018 (XIV) (IA No. 42398/2018-Exemption From Filing C/C of the Impugned Judgment and IA No. 42401/2018-Permission to File Lengthy List of Dates)
The Order of the court was delivered by
Order
1. Heard Mr. Mukul Rohatgi, Mr. C.S. Vaidyanathan, Mr. K.V. Vishwanathan and Mr. Guru Krishna Kumar, learned senior counsel appearing for the petitioners and Mr. Ashok Desai, Ms. Meenakshi Arora and Mr. Amarendra Sharan, learned senior counsel for the respondents.
2. Having heard learned counsel for the parties, we are inclined to pass the following directions:—
(i) The counter affidavit filed by the present petitioners before the High Court shall be taken on record and as accepted by learned counsel for the petitioners, no further opportunity shall be granted for filing a counter affidavit.
(ii) Rejoinder affidavit, if any, be filed by the respondents within two weeks hence.
(iii) The learned Acting Chief Justice of the High Court is requested to constitute an appropriate Division Bench, so that they can decide the lis in question.
(iv) The Division Bench so constituted is requested to dispose of the main matter by the end of April, 2018, as this matter requires immediate attention.
(v) The interim order passed by the learned Single Judge on 9.3.2018 shall remain in abeyance.
(vi) As we have kept the order in abeyance, the Election Commission shall not pronounce its order.
(vii) In case there is any notification for an election, liberty is granted to the parties to approach this Court.
3. The special leave petitions are accordingly disposed of.
4. Pending interlocutory applications, if any, shall also stand disposed of.
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