Chaudhary Khurshid Ahmed

In 1972, Chaudhary Rahim Khan won his second term in Haryana's Legislative Assembly, defeating Khurshid Ahmed, who was a sitting minister at that time. Following his humiliating defeat, Khurshid Ahmed filed a case in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, challenging Rahim Khan's election on various grounds of corrupt practices. The High Court ruled in favour of Ahmed, setting aside Rahim Khan's election and citing violations of sections 123(1), (2), and (4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Khurshid Ahmed accused Rahim Khan of bribery (Section 123(1)), appealing to faith (Section 123(3)), and character assassination (Section 123(4)) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The court found evidence supporting the charges of appealing to voters' religion by calling Ahmed a non-believer and character assassination through the distribution of damaging handbills which stated that Khurshid Ahmed was a womaniser and committed Islamically illicit practices such as feeding Muslims pork, leading to the finding of corrupt practices of Rahim Khan under sections 123(3) and (4). Khan appealed the case to the Supreme Court of India, but the appeal was dismissed. The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's judgment, officially overturning Rahim Khan's 1972 election. This case, known as "Rahim Khan vs Khurshid Ahmed and Ors on 8 August, 1974", remains significant in Indian legal history and is still included in the curriculum of many Indian law schools today.[13]