Hon’ble B.S. Verma, J.

This writ petition has been filed for quashing the impugned judgment and orders dated 24.1.2005 and 11.5.2006 respectively passed by Sub Divisional Officer/S.D.M., Didihat district Pithoragarh (for short S.D.O.) and District Judge, Pithoragarh contained as Annexure Nos. 1 and 2 to the writ petition.

2. Brief facts, giving rise to the writ petition, are that the petitioner participated in the Village Panchayat election for the office of Gram Pradhan of village Khwakoat Block Kanalichina, District Pithoragarh, along with respondent nos. 2 and 3 and he was declared a winning candidate on 30.3.2003 in the election held on 27.3.2003. The respondent no. 1 Sri Ram Singh also filed his nomination papers on 28.2.2003 for the said election before the Returning Officer concerned, but the same was rejected by the returning officer on 12.3.2003 having been found without rhyme or reason.

3. Aggrieved by the order of rejection of nomination paper, the respondent no. 1 filed an Election Petition No. 2 of 2003, Ram Singh Vs. Bhupendra Singh and others before the Sub Divisional Officer, Didihat, District Pithoragarh under Section 12-C of the Panchayat Raj Act with a p