Karnataka HC stays probe into FIRs against two BJP booth-level agents in Form 7 row
The Karnataka High Court has stayed an investigation into FIRs filed against two BJP booth-level agents accused of submitting fraudulent voter deletion forms. The court noted that the legal procedure for such complaints requires action from the Electoral Registration Officer rather than private political rivals.
Why it matters
This case highlights the legal complexities surrounding electoral integrity and the procedural requirements for challenging voter rolls in India.
The High Court of Karnataka on Friday stayed the investigation into two First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against two BJP’s Booth Level Agents (BLAs) on the complaint lodged by a Congress leader, who has alleged that the BLAs have submitted several false From 7 applications for deletion of eligible voters from the electoral rolls in Malleswaram Assembly constituency during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Justice Anant Ramanath Hegde passed the interim order on the petitions filed by BLAs G.S. Vasanthalakshmi and Deepak Singh R., against whom the Vyalikaval and Yashwanthpur police have registered separate FIRs based on the complaint lodged by Anoop Iyengar, who was the Congress candidate for Malleswaram in the 2023 Assembly polls. It was alleged in the complaint that Ms. Vasanthalakshmi and Mr. Singh had 778 and 136 Form 7 objections, respectively, with false claim about the voters stating that they were either shifted or absent.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in