The Karnataka High Court has issued an interim stay on proceedings against Member of Parliament Dr. K. Sudhakar in connection with an alleged election fraud case involving the seizure of ₹4.8 crore during the last Lok Sabha elections from Madawara. The single-judge bench, headed by Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar, passed the order after admitting Dr. Sudhakar’s petition seeking to quash the case filed against him.
Senior advocate Prabhulinga Navadgi, appearing for Dr. Sudhakar, argued that the cash was recovered from a residence unrelated to the MP. Despite this, an FIR was registered against Sudhakar under Section 171F of the Indian Penal Code, which pertains to undue influence or bribery during elections. The counsel pointed out that the same court had previously ruled that Section 171F cannot be applied when cash is found at a third-party location with no direct link to the candidate.
The court acknowledged this argument and accepted that similar cases had been dismissed in the past. Following the preliminary hearing, the High Court stayed all proceedings and issued notices to the Madanayakanahalli Police and complainant Dasharath Kumbhar, seeking their response.
The case pertains to a large sum of unaccounted cash discovered during election surveillance, raising allegations of election malpractice. However, with the court’s interim relief, the case against Dr. Sudhakar remains paused until further proceedings. The next hearing date is yet to be announced. The development marks a temporary reprieve for the MP, who continues to deny any involvement in the incident.