Daijiworld Media Network - Raichur (SP)

Raichur, Jun 13: The court of the Junior Magistrate First Class (JMFC) in Deodurga in the district has issued non-bailable arrest warrants (NBW) against former chief minister H D Kumaraswami and state minister for libraries K Shivana Gouda Naik, for their failure to appear before the court as per the summons issued earlier. The two are facing charges of violating the model code of conduct during the assembly election held last year.

Kumaraswami, the then chief minister of the state, had headed the election campaign of the JDS for the last year's assembly election. Shivana Gouda had won Deodurga assembly seat from the JDS ticket. However, later he resigned from the party and got re-elected in the by election held in December and got ministerial berth in the BJP government.

On June 9, the court had ordered for the personal appearance of both the leaders. During the hearing on Friday, advocates for Kumaraswami, N Shivashankar and Amaresh Patil, informed the court that he could not make it because of his busy preoccupations. Advocate V M Meti, appearing for minister K Shivana Gouda Naik, said that the minister, who had to attend the Hyderbad-Karnataka Development Board meeting, was unable to attend the hearing.

Judge S M Jalawa rejected the pleas and issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the absentee leaders. He directed the district superintendent of police to arrest the two and produce them in the court before July 25.