Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday stayed further proceedings against Dr K Sudhakar, BJP MP from Chikkaballapura constituency and one Govindappa in a case registered pursuant to seizure of Rs 4.8 crore by officials on election duty. Justice M Nagaprasanna passed this interim order after hearing the counsels for the petitioners and the Additional State Public Prosecutor.
The case was registered on April 25, 2024, a day before the Lok Sabha polling on April 26. After the investigation, the jurisdictional police had filed the charge sheet before JMFC court at Nelamangala, Bengaluru Rural district. The police had charged the accused for offences punishable under IPC sections 171E, 171F, 171B and 171C under section 12 of the Representation of People's Act, for alleged bribery and inducement of voters.
According to the petitioners, the complaint itself doesn't narrate any bribes and inducement and that they have been falsely implicated. The petitioners contended that mere recovery of cash at the home of an individual residing in a constituency doesn't automatically imply that the said money belonged to the candidate or that it was being used for illicit electoral gains.
It was further stated that relying solely on an anonymous call/message connecting the then MLA Sudhakar lacks the necessary weight to implicate him. Sudhakar further claimed that being a former MLA and a sitting MP, the Additional Civil Judge, JMFC, Nelamangala could not have taken cognizance. The special court constituted to deal with the cases involving the elected representatives has the jurisdiction, he said.
Published 01 August 2024, 16:35 IST