GULBARGA : The Fifth Additional Judge Rajesh Karnam has stayed the recent elections to the post of president and other office-bearers of the Sri Hingulambika Education Society and ordered fresh elections.

The society runs an Ayurveda college and other educational institutions in Gulbarga.

The order came on a petition filed by Dayanand Rao Rangdal and others, who are voters in the society, demanding injunction against the newly-elected office-bearers from transacting business of the society and seeking fresh elections. The Judge directed both the parties to maintain status quo till fresh elections are held or as directed by the Registrar of Cooperative Societies in accordance with the provisions of the Karnataka Societies Act. The order also directed the defendants to prepare the list of voters and submit to the Registrar of Cooperative Societies within three months and also assist the Registrar in conducting elections within three months. The plaintiffs were also directed to submit the list of voters before the Registrar within three months. The order further directed the defendants to submit the statement of accounts to conduct day-to-day business of the society before the Registrar within three months from the date of the order.

The main contention of the plaintiffs was that the elections held earlier was illegal since 27 new members were added in the list of voters without getting it confirmed in the general body meeting of the society. They also alleged that the defendants had deleted the names of certain plaintiffs from the voters' list without sanction from the general body.

The order also pointed out that in contravention of the provisions of the Karnataka Societies Act, the elections to the society was not held every year, but as admitted by the defendants themselves the elections were held once in three years.

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