EC allowed to prosecute Bellary poll offences

Five cases of election malpractice were registered against ministers Sriramulu, Karunakara Reddy, legislator Somashekhara Reddy and 13 others during the May 2008 Assembly elections.

The Cabinet had decided to drop the cases and the Election Commission approached the District Court challenging the decision.

The District Court had said that the Election Commission has no authority to challenge the decision, unless it was given effect to. The Commission went in appeal to the Circuit Bench.

Justice Arali Nagaraj ruled that the Election Commission has the authority to challenge the decision of the government on withdrawal of election related cases.

The court also granted the Commission to prosecute the cases before the Bellary JMFC court.