Come clean in full blown trial: HC tells M'luru lawyer accused of sexually harassing law student
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has dismissed the appeal petition filed by senior advocate K.S.N. Rajesh Bhat, who sought to quash the sexual harassment case filed against him by a law student. The petition requested the quashing of case filed at the Mangaluru Women’s Police station and the ongoing criminal proceedings in the third JMFC court.
The bench, led by Justice M. Nagaprasanna, made the ruling on Tuesday after considering the statements of the victim and the arguments put forth by the petitioner. The court emphasized that intervening in the matter would undermine the gravity of such horrific acts perpetrated against interns in advocate offices.
The bench expressed concern about the chilling effect such incidents could have on the legal profession, particularly when young, aspiring law students join as interns. It stated that it is the accused's responsibility to prove his innocence through a proper trial.
The accused, who held a position of trust and authority akin to that of a teacher, faces allegations under Section 376(2)(F) of the Indian Penal Code. The court determined that further investigation is necessary, considering the provided CCTV footage and other evidence related to the case.
The complainant, a second-year law student, had joined the accused's office as an intern in August 2021 and received a stipend of Rs 6,000. The allegations against the senior advocate include sending private videos to the student's mobile, monitoring her movements through office CCTV cameras, and forcibly pulling her into his cabin on September 25, 2021, during non-working hours.
Additional allegations involve inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment. The victim managed to escape the office and immediately confronted the senior advocate. She reported that the accused had threatened to harm her if she lodged a complaint against him.
Following the incident, the victim approached the person who referred her to the accused's office as well as the accused's wife. Subsequently, she filed a police complaint, leading to a prolonged search for the accused. Eventually, he surrendered at a local court in Mangaluru, Karnataka, after evading authorities for an extended period.
In connection with the case, the police department suspended two officers, including a woman sub-inspector, for dereliction of duty. Furthermore, three individuals were arrested, and lookout notices were issued at all airports to prevent the accused from fleeing the country.
Bank accounts belonging to the accused and other individuals involved were frozen, and Rajesh Bhat's membership with the Karnataka State Bar Council has been suspended until further notice due to the FIR against him. The charges levied against him include outraging the modesty of the victim, sexual harassment, criminal force with the intent to disrobe, voyeurism, stalking, criminal intimidation, extortion, and destruction of evidence.
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Edited photo of Actor Prakash Raj taking dip at Maha Kumbh Mela goes viral, complaint filed
Bengaluru: Actor Prakash Raj on Tuesday clarified that a photo of him taking a holy dip at the Maha Kumbh Mela, which is doing rounds across social media platforms, was fake. The multilingual actor has filed a police complaint against the miscreants in this regard.
The digitally manipulated image was posted by an account named Prashant Sambaragi, captioned: "Actor Prakash Raj at the Kumbh Mela. He bathed in the Triveni Sangam. Let's hope that his sins are washed away." The image also bizarrely showed the actor’s hand blending into an artificial design, suggesting the use of AI editing.
Taking to ‘X,’ actor Prakash Raj clarified that it was fake news. He stated, "Fake news. The job of the cowardly army of the 'False King' is to spread fake news and defile even their holy worship. A police complaint has been filed. Let's see what they do in the courtroom."
ಸುಳ್ಳು ಸುದ್ದಿ
— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) January 28, 2025
“ಸುಳ್ಳ ರಾಜ” ನ ಹೇಡಿಗಳ ಸೈನ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ .. ಅವರ ಪವಿತ್ರ ಪೂಜೆಯಲ್ಲೂ ಸುಳ್ಳು ಸುದ್ದಿ ಹಬ್ಬಿಸಿ ಹೊಲಸು ಮಾಡುವುದೇ ಕೆಲಸ .. police complaint ದಾಖಲಾಗಿದೆ .. ಕೋರ್ಟಿನ ಕಟಕಟೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಏನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೋ ನೋಡೋಣ 😊 #justasking pic.twitter.com/S6ySeyFKmh
