Petition against Karnataka bar council for not revising electoral roll

The Karnataka State Bar Council has not revised the electoral roll for its forthcoming elections, and it contains the names of advocates who have long been dead, along with the names of retired chief justices. A petition challenging the same was filed in high court on Wednesday.

Gururaj Joshi, an advocate, has moved the high court through a writ petition challenging that the council has published the preliminary voters list on its website on February 1. Joshi claimed that the voters’ list had not been revised by the council as contemplated under sub-section 4 of Section 3 of the Advocates’ Act.

Joshi contended that the council was planning to publish the calendar of events for the forthcoming elections by April 15 or April 18, and the elections will be conducted based on the erroneous and incorrect electoral roll by June 9.

Joshi submitted that the erroneous electoral roll, besides carrying the names of dead advocates, also consists of high court judges, chief justice of Supreme Court, law officers in state or private concerns, and those who have retired from law profession, without following the due procedures.

Retired high court judge, VS Malimath, retired chief justice of India MN Venkatachalaigh, former Supreme Court judge and current Lokayukta N Santosh Hedge, and late minister, A Laxmisagar, have also been included in the list.

Joshi sought direction to restrict the Karnataka State Bar Council from announcing the calendar of events. The petitioner moved the matter on Wednesday and the case would come up for hearing on Friday.