Guwahati, Aug. 20 -- The Gauhati High Court has struck down a provision of an Arunachal Pradesh law that allowed the minister in charge of Urban Local Bodies to hear appeals against decisions of the State Election Commissioner in municipal defection cases, ruling that such an arrangement does not provide an independent and impartial adjudicatory forum.

A division bench of Justices Kardak Ete and Budi Habung, however, upheld the provision empowering the chief secretary to act as the appellate authority under the Arunachal Pradesh Urban Local Bodies (Disqualification on Grounds of Defection) Act, 2014.

The judgment was delivered on August 18 on a writ petition filed by three elected councillors of the Pasighat Municipal Council- Ponung Ra...