The High Court of Karnataka has issued an interim order staying the investigation into two First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against two BJP Booth Level Agents (BLAs). Justice Anant Ramanath Hegde granted the stay in response to petitions filed by the agents, G.S. Vasanthalakshmi and Deepak Singh R., who were facing charges following a complaint lodged by a Congress leader.
The legal dispute stems from allegations made by Anoop Iyengar, the Congress candidate for Malleswaram in the 2023 Assembly polls. The complainant alleged that the two agents submitted hundreds of false Form 7 applications intended to delete eligible voters from the electoral rolls in the Malleswaram constituency during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision. Specifically, the complaint claimed that the agents had submitted 778 and 136 objections, respectively, under false pretenses regarding the residence or presence of voters. Furthermore, the complaint alleged signature variations, suggesting potential forgery or impersonation, and accused the agents of conspiring to disenfranchise minority voters.
In their petitions, the accused agents denied allegations of forgery, confirming that the forms bore their own signatures. They argued that current Election Commission of India guidelines explicitly permit BLAs to submit Form 7 objections in bulk. The petitioners further contended that the FIRs are not maintainable under the law, asserting that offences under Section 217(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita require a formal written complaint from a public servant, specifically the Electoral Registration Officer, rather than a private individual or political rival.
Additionally, the petitioners claimed that because the filing of these forms is an exercise conducted under the Representation of People Act, 1950, the FIRs—which were filed solely by invoking provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita—are legally unsustainable. With the court now staying the investigation into these cases, the legal proceedings regarding the validity of the complaints filed by the political opponent have been placed on hold pending further review.
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