JD(S) Prajwal Revanna moves to Karnataka HC, seeks stay on disqualification verdict

JD(S) leader and former-Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda’s grandson, Prajwal Revanna on Tuesday moved to the Karnataka High Court seeking a stay of its verdict, wherein the court had declared Revanna’s election to the Lok Sabha from the Hassan Constituency as null and void. In his appeal, he urged the court to put a stay on its verdict for the time, so that he could get sufficient time to file an appeal before the Supreme Court against the HC’s verdict. 

According to the reports, the court has adjourned the hearing on the application till September 8 into the application. The court has also directed the respondents, who had filed petitions in the year 2019, questioning the legality of Prajwal Revanna’s election. They have been asked by the court to file their objections against a stay on the verdict. The respondents include A Manju and G Devaraje Gowda. 

Prajwal's father, brother were also served notice in the matter

Sources reveal that if the HC puts a stay on its verdict during the hearing on Prajwal’s application, he will get a time of 30 days from the date of judgment to file against the verdict in the Apex Court. This provision is being ensured to an election petitioner, as per the provisions of the Representation of Peoples Act. 

Earlier, the Karnataka High Court had declared Prajwal’s election to the Lok Sabha as null and void after hearing the petition, wherein it was alleged that he had indulged in a series of corrupt practices including non-disclosure of proper details of income and assets, indulging in booth capturing, indulging in proxy voting, expenditures in excess during the elections among others accusations. Not only Prajwal but his father HD Revanna and brother Suraj Revanna were also said to have indulged in corrupt practices during the election to ensure his win. 

The court had served notices to both his father and brother in the same matter. 

Now, Prajwal Revanna has filed a petition in the HC seeking temporary suspension of the order. Senior Advocate Uday Holla appeared for Revanna in the high court. The bench was headed by Justice K Natarajan.