Actor Prakash Raj is facing legal trouble after a Bengaluru court issued a non-bailable warrant against him in a case involving allegations of multiple voter registrations across states.
The case traces back to a complaint lodged in 2019 by advocate Dileep Kumar at the Halasuru Gate police station. In his complaint, Kumar alleged that Raj possessed voter identity cards in several states, including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, which would be in violation of election norms if established.
The complainant claimed that despite submitting the complaint to the police, no action was taken. He then escalated the matter by approaching both the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner and the Election Commission of India, but alleged that he did not receive any response from either authority. With no progress on the issue, he later moved the court.
Under Election Commission rules, an individual is permitted to be enrolled as a voter at only one location in the country. The complaint against Raj centres on the allegation that he breached this provision by allegedly being registered in multiple places.
The 48th Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate court had reportedly summoned the actor twice and directed him to appear before it. However, Raj did not present himself before the court on either occasion.
Taking note of his absence despite repeated summons, the court has now issued a non-bailable warrant against him. The order opens the possibility of coercive action, including arrest, in connection with the case if he does not comply with the legal process.