Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka on Friday restrained the husbands of elected women representatives of Yadgir Zilla Panchayat from interfering in council meetings.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and Justice Budihal R.B. passed the interim order on a petition filed by Bengaluru-based Daksh, a not-for-profit society working to improve accountability in politics and governance.

The petition had pointed out that the husbands of Yadgir Zilla Panchayat women members had entered the meeting venue in May last and demanded that they be allowed assist the women in carrying out their official duties.

Though the Chief Executive Officer of the zilla panchayat did not permit them to attend the meeting, they were allowed to participate by the vice-president.

Also, the petitioner complained that the men had demanded that they be given office space on the zilla panchayat premises, on the premise that the women did not understand the working of the zilla panchayat, and hence required the assistance of their respective husbands.