Karnataka HC refuses to quash charges against astrologer, husband in molestation case
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka High Court has declined to quash the criminal proceedings against an astrologer and a woman's husband in a case involving her alleged molestation.
The court rejected the petitions filed by Deepa Darshan H P (husband) and Mohandas alias Shivaramu (astrologer), who sought quashing of the charges against them under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The sections include: Sections 498A (Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty), 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (Sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), and 508 (inducing person to believe that he will be rendered an object of the Divine displeasure), read with 34.
The case centres around accusations that the astrologer, under the guise of performing a puja to "correct" the woman's 'kundali' (horoscope), inappropriately touched her. The woman's husband, who had brought her to the astrologer, is accused of threatening her not to disclose the incident.
The husband argued that a prior complaint had been filed against him in 2018 under Section 498A of the IPC and that the current complaint, filed in 2019, was impermissible as it related to similar allegations.
He also claimed that since the complainant had been living separately since 2018, there was no basis for the new complaint. Additionally, he pointed out that a petition for dissolution of marriage was pending in the Family Court here.
However, the complainant's counsel argued that the allegations in the current case were distinct from those in the previous one.
The astrologer, accused number two, was alleged to have molested the complainant under the pretext of performing a ritual, while the husband allegedly did nothing to stop him and even warned the complainant against resisting.
The court noted that the complainant had made specific allegations about incidents of cruelty under Section 498A of the IPC that took place between May 2014 and February 2015.
The astrologer was accused of inappropriately touching the complainant during this period, with the husband's complicity. Given the seriousness of the charges, the court ruled that the criminal proceedings could not be quashed.
Justice S Vishwajith Shetty, presiding over the case, emphasised that the nature and gravity of the allegations warranted the continuation of the legal process against both accused.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
