A Bengaluru court has issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against actor and former independent Lok Sabha candidate Prakash Raj in a case alleging that he was enrolled as a voter in multiple assembly constituencies across different States and concealed those details in his election affidavit.
The court of the XLVIII Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Bengaluru, presided over by Magistrate Jyoti Shantappa Kale, has issued or re-issued an NBW against the actor at least three times after summons could not be served on him.
On March 17, 2026, the court directed,
"Counsel for complainant present. Re-issue summons to accused through Commissioner of Police, Bangalore. For report."
Subsequently, on April 17, 2026, the court recorded that the accused had vacated the house where summons were sought to be served and observed,
"Accused called out absent. Issue NBW to accused."
The warrant was later re-issued. On June 12, 2026, when the presiding officer was on training, the case status reflected that the NBW remained in force and the matter was posted to July 25, 2026.
The proceedings arise out of a private complaint filed by Bengaluru resident K Dileep Kumar. On August 1, 2025, the magistrate took cognizance of offences punishable under Sections 31 and 125A of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, after finding that sufficient material existed to proceed against the accused.
According to the complaint, Prakash Raj, who contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Bengaluru Central constituency, filed an affidavit along with his nomination papers on March 22, 2019, declaring that his name was enrolled in the electoral roll of the Shantinagar Assembly constituency in Bengaluru.
The complainant alleged that the actor was, however, simultaneously registered in three other electoral rolls, including two entries in the Velachery Assembly constituency in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and one entry in the Serilingampally Assembly constituency in Telangana.
The complaint contends that Sections 17 and 18 of the Representation of the People Act prohibit a person from being registered in more than one constituency or more than once in the same constituency, and that Section 31 penalises making a false declaration in connection with electoral rolls. Section 125A prescribes punishment for filing a false affidavit.
In support of the complaint, the complainant examined himself as CW-1 and produced seven documents. These included copies of the affidavit filed by Prakash Raj along with his nomination papers, an additional affidavit dated March 21, 2019, and voter information records purportedly showing his enrolment in Velachery and Serilingampally constituencies.
After examining the complaint, oral evidence and documents, the magistrate observed that the records prima facie indicated that the accused's name appeared in electoral rolls at three different places in 2019, while his nomination affidavit disclosed only his enrolment in Shantinagar.
The court held that the material placed on record disclosed a prima facie case and found sufficient grounds to proceed against the accused for offences punishable under Sections 31 and 125A of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.