CM Siddaramaiah rules out CBI probe in sexual abuse case against MP Prajwal, reposes faith in SIT
Bengaluru (PTI): Ruling out transfer of the probe into sexual abuse charges against Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna to the CBI, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said he reposed faith in the Special Investigation Team of the state police, which is investigating the case.
Questioning BJP's locus standi to make such a demand, he asked the opposition party as to why it doesn't trust the police. He also hit out at the saffron party for making misleading statements aimed at causing confusion in the minds of the people about SIT, which is conducting a "fair probe".
"We are getting the probe done by our police (SIT), we have belief and faith in our police. They are efficient," Siddaramaiah said in response to a question on BJP demanding a CBI probe.
Speaking to Reporters here, he pointed out that the BJP had once called CBI "Corruption Bureau of Investigation", and the party never handed over a single case to the central agency while in power, despite Congress' repeated demands.
He further said, "It's not that I don't have faith in CBI, the cases that need be handed over to CBI will be given. When I was the Chief Minister earlier, I had given seven cases to CBI, but there was no conviction even in a single case... that doesn't mean I dont have faith in CBI... SIT is also an investigating agency like CBI, we will get the probe done by our police."
The 33-year-old JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who is grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former PM H D Deve Gowda, is facing charges of sexually abusing women. The scandal has raised a political storm with the ruling Congress and BJP-JD(S) engaged in a slugfest.
While the Congress government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the cases, the BJP and JD(S) -- NDA partners -- have demanded that it be handed over to the CBI, and action against those behind the circulation of explicit videos.
Responding to allegations that BJP leader Devaraje Gowda was arrested to save ruling Congress and its leaders, who are allegedly behind circulation of explicit videos, the CM said the BJP's job is to make false allegations.
"He (Devaraje Gowda) has been arrested following allegations of sexual abuse against woman, a complaint was filed on April 1. We are not interfering in the investigation of the police (SIT). Police have been given full freedom, it is their duty to investigate and get the guilty punished.
To a query on Union Minister Pralhad Joshi's alleged statement accusing Congress government of "witch hunt" against BJP workers in connection with the case, Siddaramaiah said, Pralhad Joshi is a central Minister and he should speak responsibly.
"....BJP leaders are experts in lying, they only make false allegations," he said, adding that SIT is conducting a fair probe, to mislead and cause confusion in the minds of the people, intentionally such statements are being made.
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Belagavi: Man attacks nurse inside hospital, caught on camera
Belagavi (Karnataka), Nov 28: A CCTV footage of a nurse being attacked by a man inside a private hospital in Karnataka went viral on social media platforms on Thursday.
The incident, reported to have occurred on October 30, was captured on CCTV camera of the hospital in which the man who has been identified as Prakash Jadhav was seen attacking the nurse with a machete he was hiding in his bag.
The video clip shows the person entering the hospital and at the reception counter, he caught hold of the nurse and attacked her with the machete for allegedly refusing his romantic advances.
She was treated in the hospital for her injuries, police said, adding that the suspect was arrested in the case.
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According to police, Jadhav was her neigbhour. He had been harassing the nurse for a while, persistently pressuring her to marry him but she rejected her proposal every time.
Upset over repeated rejection, he later approached her father with the proposal but he also rejected his marriage proposal and warned him to stay away from his daughter.
Her father became traumatised and stressed by the incident. Subsequently, he died.
"A case was registered against Prakash Jadhav and he was arrested in connection with the incident," a senior police officer said.
