Karnataka SIR: High Court Stays Investigation Against BJP Leader Over Alleged Attempt To Delete Muslim Voters' Names
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday [October 13] stayed further investigation in an FIR registered against BJP leader Dr. Ravi Basalingappagowda Patil and others over allegations of fraudulently deleting Muslim voters' names through bulk Form No. 7 objections during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Justice Venkatesh Naik T, sitting at Dharwad, passed the order while relying on the prima facie reasoning of a coordinate bench in a similar matter to the effect that any such grievance would be premature as the electoral authorities had not yet adjudicated the objections.
The matter is next listed for hearing on October 29.
Senior Advocate Aruna Shyam, appearing for Patil, submitted that the FIR was the handiwork of rival political parties. He submitted that parallel investigation by the police was not permissible in law.
He also contended that the Election Commission had issued a notification permitting bulk Form No. 7 objections, and that it was for the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) to adjudicate upon them. Only after such adjudication, if any doubt remained, could Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 be invoked, he argued.
Shyam further submitted that similar FIRs had been registered against persons across the State, and that the present proceedings were 'too premature' at this stage, as laid down by a coordinate bench sitting at Bengaluru.
The Court was told that the coordinate bench in W.P. No. 31887 of 2026 and W.P. No. 31893 of 2026, while dealing with petitions filed by BJP Booth Level Agents G.S. Vasanthalakshmi and Deepak Singh R, had observed last week that the complaint appeared premature since the competent authority had admittedly not taken any decision on the Form No. 7 applications. Justice Anant Ramanath Hegde had stayed the investigation in those matters.
Recording the submissions, Justice Venkatesh Naik T observed that the factual matrix and the purport of the aforesaid order were similar to the present case.
“…In view of maintaining judicial discipline, it is just and proper to stay the investigation till the next date of hearing. The respondent-State is permitted to file an application for modification of the order if necessary…” the Court ordered.
According to the prosecution, a block agent of the Congress party alleged that the accused persons, including Patil, had planned to erase the names of voters belonging to a particular community by submitting approximately 198 fabricated Form No. 7 applications to the Booth Level Officer attached to the election section of the Belagavi Mahanagar Palike.
The complaint alleged that while the 198 voters originally resided at the addresses shown in the list, the accused, including the BJP functionary, submitted Form No. 7 applications to deliberately exclude Muslim voters.
Based on the complaint, the Station House Officer of Market Police Station, Belagavi, registered the case and issued notice under Section 35(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
Dr. Patil was charged under Sections 318(4), 336(3), 336(4), 353, 61(2), 3(5), 3(7), and 192 read with Section 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The development follows an earlier order of a Sessions Court in Belagavi, which had granted anticipatory bail to Patil in connection with the same FIR. The trial court had then noted that mere submission of Form No. 7 does not automatically trigger action, since electoral authorities conduct their own verification — a reasoning that has now found resonance in the High Court's stay of investigation.