NEW DELHI: A third non-bailable warrant was issued against Actor Prakash Raj after he failed to appear before a Bengaluru court in a case alleging that his name figured in four electoral rolls spread across three states. The warrant was reissued on June 12 on a petition filed by advocate K Dilip Kumar, with the next hearing set for July 25.The latest order intensifies the legal trouble for the actor, who has remained absent despite earlier summons and two previous non-bailable warrants issued by the court.Court records show that a summons was first issued on February 17, through the Commissioner of Police. However, authorities reported that Raj could not be located at the address mentioned in the petition.After he failed to appear, the court issued its first non-bailable warrant on March 17, noting: “It is reported that the accused has vacated the house. The accused called out absent. Issue NBW to the accused.”When the matter came up again on April 17 and Raj did not appear, the warrant was reissued. The court issued the third NBW on June 12, with the proceedings recording that the presiding officer had been away on training.At the heart of the case are allegations that Raj’s name appeared in multiple voter lists while he was contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Bengaluru Central.In his complaint, advocate K Dilip Kumar alleged that besides being enrolled as a voter in Bengaluru’s Shantinagar Assembly constituency, Raj’s name also appeared at two locations in Chennai’s Velachery Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu and in Telangana’s Serilingampally Assembly constituency.The complainant said he had approached the local police in April 2019 seeking action, but alleged that no steps were taken. He subsequently moved the court, which took up the matter in 2023.The case gathered momentum on August 1, 2025, when the court said it had taken cognisance “for the offences punishable under Sections 31 and 125(A) of Representation of the People Act, 1950.” It then directed that summons be issued to the actor.Since then, the proceedings have steadily escalated, moving from summons to repeated non-bailable warrants as Raj allegedly continued to stay away from court, setting the stage for a crucial hearing next month.
