Bengaluru Court Issues Non-Bailable Warrant Against Prakash Raj in Electoral Roll Case

A Bengaluru magistrate court has issued a non-bailable warrant against actor and former Lok Sabha candidate Prakash Raj in a criminal complaint concerning alleged multiple voter registrations and non-disclosure of those entries in his 2019 election affidavit.

The matter is pending before the XLVIII Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Bengaluru, presided over by Magistrate Jyoti Shantappa Kale. Court records indicate that the warrant has been issued or re-issued several times after attempts to serve summons on the actor were unsuccessful.

On March 17, 2026, the court ordered, “Counsel for complainant present. Re-issue summons to accused through Commissioner of Police, Bangalore. For report.”

When the case was taken up again on April 17, the court was informed that Prakash Raj had vacated the address where service was attempted. It then recorded, “Accused called out absent. Issue NBW to accused.”

The warrant subsequently remained in force. On June 12, when the presiding officer was attending training, the matter was adjourned to July 25, 2026, with the pending non-bailable warrant reflected in the case status.

The proceedings stem from a private complaint filed by Bengaluru resident K Dileep Kumar. The magistrate took cognisance on August 1, 2025, after finding sufficient preliminary material to proceed under provisions dealing with false electoral declarations and false election affidavits.

Prakash Raj contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election as an independent candidate from Bengaluru Central. In the affidavit accompanying his nomination papers, filed on March 22, 2019, he declared his registration in the electoral roll of Bengaluru’s Shantinagar Assembly constituency.

The complainant alleges that the actor was also registered elsewhere at the same time. The records relied upon reportedly show two entries in the Velachery Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu and another entry in Telangana’s Serilingampally Assembly constituency.

Election law prohibits registration in more than one constituency and duplicate registration within the same constituency. Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 penalises false declarations connected with electoral rolls, while Section 125A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 concerns false information in election affidavits.

To support the allegations, the complainant examined himself and submitted seven documents. These included Prakash Raj’s nomination affidavit, an additional affidavit dated March 21, 2019, and voter information records said to establish his enrolment in Velachery and Serilingampally.

After considering the oral evidence and documents, the magistrate found that the material prima facie showed the actor’s name in electoral rolls at three locations during 2019, despite only the Shantinagar enrolment being disclosed in his nomination affidavit.

The court has not reached a final finding on guilt. The warrant relates to securing the accused’s presence, while the allegations and supporting evidence will remain subject to examination during the proceedings.