Wednesday, November 9 2005 15:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Adjourning a petition seeking rejection of nomination of Congress candidate Priya Dutt for the Mumbai North-West Lok Sabha constituency bypoll for using her father's name instead of her husband, the Bombay high court today (Nov 09, 2005) imposed costs of Rs 10,000 on the petitioner for disturbing the election process.

Vacation Judge A V Mohata asked the petitioner Rakesh Arora, who is also contesting the bypoll from the same constituency as an independent candidate, to pay costs of Rs 10,000 within three days and deferred the matter to November 16 for further hearing.

The judge asked the petitioner to point out any law or earlier court ruling to justify his objection to the Congress candidate using her father's name instead of her husband.

The petitioner pointed out that the issue was absolutely new and need to be looked into. Thereupon the court adjourned the matter to November 16 while asking the petitioner to pay costs.

Replying to the petition, the Election Commission said Priya Dutt had mentioned her name in the nomination form similar to what appeared in the voters list.

Earlier, the petitioner said that Dutt has filled in her name as Dutt Priya Sunil in two of the four nomination forms filled by her and has mentioned husband Owen Roncon's name in the other forms. He alleged that Priya wanted to cash in on the popularity of her father by misrepresenting facts in the nomination forms.

The bypoll was necessitated after the death of sitting MP and union minister Sunil Dutt on May 25.

As she is married, her name in the form should read Priya Owen Roncon, he contended.