HC notices to MLA, state in voter ID case

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday issued notices to Rajarajeshwari Nagar MLA Munirathna, the state government, the police and the CBI in the voter ID scam case.

The court issued the notice while hearing the petition of N Rakesh, the original complainant in the case, who has approached the court seeking direction to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He cited several shortcomings in the probe by the city police.

The police had registered an FIR against 14 people, including Rajarajeshwari Nagar Congress MLA Munirathna, in connection with the seizure of 9,564 voter ID cards from an apartment in Jalahalli.

The petitioner had also filed a private complaint in the 24th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court, following which the court directed the Jalahalli police to include the MLA’s name in the case and investigate.

He has also asked the court to direct the city police commissioner to provide protection to him, his family members and the witnesses involved in the case.