Cops name Congress MLA in Voter ID seizure case

BENGALURU: The election authorities have named Munirathna, the Congress MLA seeking reelection from Rajarajeshwari Nagar (RR Nagar) in the first information report (FIR) the Bengaluru Police have registered in the case of detection and seizure of about 10,000 Voter ID cards from an apartment in Jalahalli on Tuesday. The seizures included other accessories as well.

The Jalahalli registered the FIR on Wednesday night, in which 11 persons have been named, including those who were present in the apartment at the time of the raid, apartment owner and former BJP corporator Manjula Najnamari. Munirathna is the 11th accused in the case.

The police have pressed serious charges against the accused under the Indian Penal Code for committing criminal conspiracy, bribery and undue influence or attempts at impersonation at the polls. Cases have also been booked under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, under section 135 A -- a serious provision under which such acts of crime are akin to booth capturing.

Booth capturing by seizure of a polling station or coercing or intimidating or threatening a voter directly or indirectly and preventing him/her from going to the polling station is punishable with imprisonment for a term not less than one year and a fine.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has not made an announcement on countermanding the elections. The investigation of the case is now monitored by Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar.

Karnataka’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sanjiv Kumar, on Thursday, maintained that he has sent a report to the ECI and act according to the Commission’s directions.

“The police are investigating,” he said.

An election official on the condition of anonymity, told ET that the case was registered against the sitting MLA Munirathna based on prima facie evidence.

“We found pamphlets with the name of the MLA and the five laptops that were seized had -pictures and content related to Munirathna,” the officer said.