Police inquring based on complaint: Basavraj Bommai on sexual harassment charge against Minister
Bengaluru: Police will inquire into the allegations of sexual harassment against Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi based on the complaint, Karnataka Home Minister Basavraj Bommai said on Wednesday, even as opposition Congress demanded for his immediate resignation and registration of FIR.
Speaking to reporters here, Bommai said,"Whatever the complaint is there, based on the complaint we are doing the inquiry, as per law we are doing it."
Responding to a question on opposition demanding Jarkiholi's resignation, he said, "our party will take a decision."
Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwth Narayan said it was not right to comment on the issue without knowing facts, and it may be an allegation out of malice.
"there is no clarity....complaint has been lodged, let the truth come out....without knowing truth it was not right to comment or pass judgements, it was not clear whether the allegations were made out of any malice, so no question of giving importance to it now," he told the media.
Dinesh Kallahalli, a social activist had on Tuesday lodged a police complaint against Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi alleging sexual harassment to a job aspirant and threatening her and family of dire consequences.
Purported video clips showing Ramesh Jarkiholi getting intimate with an unidentified woman, were widely aired by Kannada news channels.
Demanding Jarkiholi's immediate resignation and registration of FIR, Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah said, "If that party (BJP) has shame and if they respect human values immediately they have to take his resignation."
"This is national news, if the government has shame, it has to take his resignation immediately, and immediately FIR has to be registered," he told reporters.
Reacting to the allegations, Ramesh had told some news channels that he was shocked and the videos were 100 per cent fake, as he also sought an investigation.
Police have assured necessary action after obtaining more details and said they will also interrogate the woman.
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Rape-accused 'godman' Kharat sent to judicial custody till April 14
Nashik (PTI): A court in Maharashtra's Nashik on Wednesday remanded rape-accused self-styled godman Ashok Kharat in a 14-day judicial custody.
Kharat was arrested on March 18 after a 35-year-old woman accused him of repeated rape over a period of three years. Following his arrest, multiple rape complaints were filed against him.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is conducting a probe against Kharat.
As his police custody ended on Wednesday, he was produced before the court. During the hearing, the SIT sought his judicial custody.
Accordingly, sessions judge B N Ichpurani remanded Kharat in judicial custody till April 14. He will be sent to Nashik Road Central Jail.
Kharat is scheduled to be produced in a court in another case on Thursday.
At least 10 FIRs, eight for alleged sexual assault or exploitation and two for cheating, have been registered against Kharat at Sarkarwada police station in Nashik, while the SIT has received more than 100 complaints over the phone against him.
On Wednesday, an SIT team detained Kharat's son Harshvardhan for questioning from their residence in Karmayogi Nagar here. He was let off at night.
The investigators are also trying to trace Kharat's wife Kalpana in connection with the probe against her husband. She is also named in a cheating case in Ahilyanagar district.
'Godman' Kharat heads a temple trust at Sinnar in Nashik and had several political leaders visit him over the years.
Last week, the SIT visited Kharat's office in Nashik along with a forensic science team, from where they recovered several documents, files and other evidence.
Notably, a 20-feet remote-controlled mechanised snake was also seized from his office. Kharat allegedly used the snake to make his visitors believe that he could control a live snake and thus possessed supernatural powers.
