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Karnataka HC directs state cricket cssociation to produce video of nomination papers scrutiny

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday directed the electoral officer not to announce the list of eligible candidates for the post of president at the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and also not to name the candidate who withdrew the nomination from the post. The court was hearing a petition filed by KN Shanth Kumar, whose nomination papers for the KSCA presidents post was rejected by the electoral officer over alleged non-payment of arrears of Rs 200 that was to be paid within the stipulated time by the sports club he is representing. The court directed the electoral officer or KSCA to produce the video recording of the scrutiny proceedings and a time-stamped printout to ascertain whether the arrears were paid before the scrutiny of nomination papers as claimed by the petitioner. Justice Suraj Govindaraj passed the order, adjourning the hearing to Thursday. Till the video recordings are produced, the electoral officer should not announce the list of eligible candidates for the presidents post, and also the name of the candidate who withdrew from the election to the presidents post, the court said. It said the order was passed to ascertain two simple facts -- whether the institution member (the sports club represented by Kumar) has paid the arrears prior to the scrutiny of nomination papers and rejection of the nomination of the petitioner and whether it was brought to the notice of the electoral officer. Earlier, the petitioners counsel argued that Kumars nomination paper was rejected on the ground that there were Rs 200 arrears of the institution membership of the sports club. The amount was paid on November 24, the date of filing the nomination, and before scrutiny. The regulation says members will not be allowed as long as there are arrears. When the application was taken up for scrutiny, the petitioner had already made the payment. The electoral officer was informed about the payment made, but it was ignored, the counsel argued. The court then asked the KSCA counsel whether the payment was made prior to or after the scrutiny. A senior counsel appearing for the other presidential candidate, BK Venkatesh Prasad, argued that if the electoral officer had been told about the payment, he would have recorded it. It is only today (Wednesday) that they claim to have paid it, but it has not been recorded. The petition questioning the electoral officers order is not maintainable. Even assuming the arguable point is made at this stage, the election process cannot be stalled, he argued. The petitioners counsel replied that there were only three candidates for the post of president. Shanth Kumars application was rejected, while the other candidate, Kalpana Venkatachar, withdrew.