Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court yesterday directed the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Electoral Officer not to announce the list of eligible candidates for the post of President at the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), including the withdrawal made for the President’s post.

Justice Suraj Govindaraj, hearing a petition filed by K.N. Shanth Kumar, Director, The Printers (Mysore) Private Limited, whose nomination papers for the KSCA President’s post was rejected by the electoral officer over alleged non-payment of arrears of Rs. 200 that was to be paid within the stipulated time by the sports club he is representing.

The Justice also directed the electoral officer and KSCA to place before the Court the video recording of the scrutiny proceedings and a time-stamped printout of the time when payment of arrears was made by Shanth Kumar.

Justice Suraj Govindaraj passed the order, adjourning the hearing to Thursday. Till the video recordings are produced, the electoral officer should not announce the list of eligible candidates for the President’s post and also the name of the candidate who withdrew from the election, the Court said.

It said the order was passed to ascertain two simple facts:  whether the institution member (the sports club represented by Kumar) has paid the arrears prior to the scrutiny of nomination papers and rejection of the nomination of the petitioner and whether it was brought to the notice of the electoral officer.

The petitioner has sought a direction to quash the Nov. 24 order passed by the electoral officer.