HASSAN: Hassan Deputy Commissioner and district electoral officer Priyanka Mary Francis on Saturday submitted a report to the Chief Electoral Officer on the alleged false and incomplete affidavit filed by Prajwal Revanna, coalition candidate from Hassan parliamentary constituency.
The Chief Electoral Officer had set May 17 as the deadline to submit the report in this regard. Francis, in her report, has clearly mentioned that the alleged complaint filed by Congress leader Devaraje Gowda on Prajwal filing a false and incomplete affidavit, could be referred to the income-tax department for a fact-check.
The DC also expressed her opinion that officials can get detailed information from the Lokayukta on the total assets and liabilities owned by the candidate, and with whom he had transactions. According to Devaraje Gowda, Prajwal did not mention that he had borrowed Rs 23 lakh from his grandfather, Tumkur coalition candidate HD Deve Gowda, who had clearly mentioned it in his affidavit.
Prajwal also mentioned that he owned a vacant site next to his residence in Holenarasipur town, whereas a building with a cinema theatre existed in this place.
Moreover, he had failed to submit his income tax returns for five years, and mentioned his bank transactions and statements on assets and liabilities only for the current year. Details of I-T returns from March 31, 2014, to March 31, 2017, and the regular income of Rs 16,59,720 for the previous years were not mentioned in the affidavit. The statement of shares worth Rs 27,10,260 and capital investments of Rs 49,29,909 was also not mentioned in the affidavit.
The value of silver articles and bank statements have major differences compared to the current market value. Prajwal has omitted mentioning Rs 85,20,000 revenue in the affidavit and a total of Rs 3,66,68,450 was shown as the difference amount in a comparative bank statement.
Devaraje Gowda also complained that the list of assets gifted by HD Revanna to son Prajwal between February 1, 2011, and August 22, 2018, was also incomplete and had many discrepancies.
In her report, DC Francis has asked the CEO to get information about the financial transactions between Prajwal Revanna and his relatives Anusuya Manjunath, CN Puttaswamy, Bhavani Revanna and HD Revanna from the Lokayukta, as they had furnished their assets and liabilities earlier.
Finally, she said that it will no longer be necessary under the CrPC for the returning officer to move the competent court with relation to any complaint about a false affidavit. The complainant himself can approach court.