MANNI LAL vs SHRI PARMAI LAL & ORS.

The Supreme Court held that under Section 8(2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, an acquittal in appeal retrospectively wipes out the conviction, thus the respondent was not disqualified at the time of election despite prior conviction. The Court also upheld the High Court's decision regarding the rejection of certain ballot papers under Rule 56(2)(b) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, affirming that the marks on those papers could not be identified with the official seal. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed as the respondent retained a majority of valid votes.