Bengaluru: The retired head teacher of a school, who had been absconding after being accused of misbehaving with a young lady at a shopping mall in the city recently, was granted bail in the case after he surrendered before the Magadi Road police officers on Thursday.

On Sunday, retired head teacher Ashwathanarayana had allegedly misbehaving with the lady in the mall, pretending to collide with her and touching her back. He had locked his house at Basaveshwara Nagar and gone missing, allegedly for fear of arrest.

The scene, however, had been recorded by Yashwanth, who also shared the video clip on social media. On the basis of the video recording, the officers of the mall had filed a complaint with the Magadi Road Police, who booked an FIR against Ashwathanarayana.

The accused presented himself before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) with his advocate on Thursday afternoon and applied for bail. The 2nd judge of the ACMM granted bail to Ashwathanarayana after inspecting the application.

The police sources have said that the case accused has returned to his house at Basaveshwara Nagar. Further action will be taken after consultation with legal experts, they added.

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Bengaluru, Nov 26: With a group of Karnataka BJP leaders led by Bijapur MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal holding a parallel agitation over the waqf issue, veteran party leader B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday accused them of doing it because of their "self-conceit", and appealed them to work unitedly to strengthen the party.

The former Karnataka chief minister also said that everyone should take the responsibility for the party's defeat in the Assembly bypolls for three segments, even as the BJP's performance is being seen as a "setback" for his son and state president B Y Vijayendra.

"State president B Y Vijayendra has appealed to Basangouda Patil Yatnal and others to stop protesting separately, and work with us unitedly. Despite this, because of their self-conceit, they are doing such things. It is not right on their part," Yediyurappa said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "I appeal to them at least now to come forward and cooperate to strengthen the party together."

When told that they are not willing to work unitedly with the state's current leadership of the party and whether he will bring it to the notice of the high command, Yediyurappa said, "We will do our duty. The rest is left to them and central leadership...high command knows everything. Let's see what they will do."

Yatnal-led group include BJP MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi, B P Harish, and former lawmakers Aravind Limbavali, Kumar Bangarappa and G M Siddeshwara and others.

The leaders, who had stayed away from the protest recently held by the party on the Waqf issue, on Monday held a parallel agitation over the issue in Bidar. Today, they are in Kalaburagi district.

Yatnal and Jarkiholi have been openly critical of Vijayendra, accusing him of indulging in "adjustment politics" with the ruling Congress, and trying to keep the party in his clutches along with his father Yediyurappa.

Noting that the party had faced a setback in the bypolls for Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna, Yediyurappa said, "We accept that. What shortcomings were being discussed in the party. It should be ensured that such things don't repeat."

To a question whether the bypoll loss is being seen as a setback to his son Vijayendra, he said, "It is not a question of Vijayendra or Yediyurappa. The loss in all the three seats is a setback for us (party). Everyone should take the responsibility and see to it that such things don't repeat."

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