Outspoken actor and politician Prakash Raj has landed in legal trouble after a Bengaluru court reportedly issued a non-bailable warrant against him in connection
with a case involving alleged possession of multiple voter identity cards. As per reports, the 48th Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Court in Bengaluru passed the order after the actor allegedly failed to appear before the court despite being served multiple summons. The court observed that Raj had remained absent and had not responded to repeated directives requiring his presence during the proceedings. As per reports, the case stems from a complaint filed in 2019 by advocate Dileep Kumar at Bengaluru's Halasuru Gate Police Station. The complainant alleged that Prakash Raj was registered as a voter in multiple states simultaneously, in violation of electoral regulations. According to the complaint, the actor allegedly held voter registrations in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. Reports further claim that the registrations were linked to constituencies including Shanthinagar in Bengaluru, Serilingampally in Telangana and Velachery in Tamil Nadu. Under Election Commission of India rules, an individual can be enrolled as a voter at only one place of ordinary residence at any given time. The matter gained traction after the complainant reportedly approached higher authorities and the judiciary, alleging inadequate progress in the investigation. Following a review of the documents submitted, the court initiated proceedings and issued summons to the actor on several occasions. However, after Raj allegedly failed to appear before the court, the magistrate escalated the matter by issuing a non-bailable warrant to secure his presence in future hearings. The development has furthrer brought attention to the legal implications of duplicate voter registrations. While electoral laws provide mechanisms for correcting clerical or administrative errors, knowingly maintaining multiple voter registrations can attract penalties under provisions of the Representation of the People Act. Prakash Raj, known for his outspoken political views and active participation in public discourse, has previously denied similar allegations. In earlier responses to questions surrounding the issue, the actor maintained that he possessed only one valid voter registration and suggested that discrepancies may have arisen due to administrative or database-related errors. As of now, the actor has not publicly reacted to the latest court order. Legal experts expect his counsel to move the appropriate court seeking relief from the warrant or apply for bail in order to avoid immediate detention. With the case now entering a more serious legal phase, all eyes will be on the next steps taken by the actor and the Bengaluru court as proceedings continue.
