Bengaluru: In what can be said as a setback to the JD(S) ahead of  the May 10 Assembly polls, the Karnataka High Court on  Thursday, declared the election of Tumakuru Rural JD(S) MLA D.C. Gowrishankar as void for corrupt practices.

Justice S. Sunil Dutt Yadav passed the order while hearing a petition filed by defeated BJP candidate B. Suresh Gowda.

The Court, however, placed the order under suspension/abeyance for 30 days following an application by Gowrishankar, seeking to enable him to appeal the Supreme Court against the order.

Gowrishankar had won against Suresh Gowda by a margin of over 5,000 votes in the 2018 Assembly polls.

Defeated BJP Candidate B. Suresh Gowda then petitioned the High Court contending that Gowrishankar’s election was vitiated by  corrupt practices. Suresh Gowda had also maintained that Kammagondanahalli Sri Maruti Seva Samiti (KMSS), a fully  family controlled Organisation/Trust linked to Gowrishankar, had taken Health Insurance Policies (Medi Assist Policies) in the name of the children of the voters of the Constituency and distributed them. He had also specifically asserted that the Policies were taken to benefit the students studying in 50 to 100 schools coming under Tumakuru Rural Assembly segment and as well as other students residing in approximately 200 villages. Suresh Gowda had contended that the distribution of Medi Assist cards by itself was an enticement to vote for the returned (Gowrishankar) candidate and it amounted to bribery as per Section 123 of the Representation of People Act.

The HC which heard the petition, held that the election agents of Gowrishankar had indulged in corrupt practices, which would fall within the definition of bribery under the Representation of People Act.

Court orders probe against Belur MLA

A Special Court for cases involving MPs/MLAs on Thursday ordered registration of an FIR against JD(S) MLA from Belur Constituency in Hassan district, K.S. Lingesh and 14 others for alleged grant of Bagar Hukum Government land to fictitious persons by creating fake documents.

K.C. Rajanna, a resident of Gandhinagar in Kolar, had filed a petition accusing K.S. Lingesh and 14 others of sanctioning  2,750 acres of Bagar Hukum land in Belur taluk worth more than Rs. 775 crore to fictitious persons. The Special Court which heard the petition, ordered registration of FIR against the Belur MLA and 14 others in connection with the case.