High Court stays proceedings against Udupi-Chikmagalur MP Kota Srinivas Poojary

Bengaluru: The High Court has issued a stay on the proceedings in a special court for elected representatives in Bengaluru against Udupi-Chikmagalur MP Kota Srinivas Poojary and others.

The case relates to a promise made during the last Lok Sabha elections at a school in Udupi.

MP Kota Srinivas Poojary, Kapu MLA Gurme Suresh Shetty, former MLA Lalaji R. Mendon, and private college administration board president S. Gopalakrishna filed petitions seeking to dismiss the private complaint and the related proceedings in the 42nd ACMM (Special Court for Elected Representatives) in Bengaluru.

The plea was heard by the bench of Justice Krishna S. Dixit on Friday.

After hearing the arguments from the petitioners’ counsel, the bench granted a stay on the proceedings against the petitioners in the special court.

The court also issued a notice to the complainant, Vishwanath Shetty, who was the election campaign observer for the Kaup constituency, and adjourned the hearing.

Senior advocate M. Arun Shyam, appearing for the petitioners, argued that the election campaign observer had filed a complaint under IPC Section 188 against the petitioners, which was beyond his jurisdiction. He contended that the complaint was legally flawed and should be dismissed.

The bench accepted the argument and granted a stay on the proceedings.