SIT closes gang rape case against BJP MLA Munirathna for lack of evidence
Complaint found to be false, says police team
Bengaluru: The gang rape case filed against BJP legislator Munirathna has been closed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the CID, with the team informing the Karnataka High Court that it found the charges against the MLA to be false.
The closure report was submitted by the SIT before the Justice MI Arun on Wednesday. While the hearing of the petition has been adjourned for September 17, the HC has issued an interim order to the police not to take coercive action against Munirathna until then.
The complaint had been filed against the MLA by a 40-year-old social worker, claiming that she had been gang raped in Munirathna’s office in June 2023 and that the MLA was the mastermind. The woman had also stated in her complaint that two of the legislator’s aides had taken her there under his direction and on the pretext of getting his help to clear a criminal case against her. The two men raped her at the office while Munirathna stood watching before urinating on her.
The SIT had chargesheeted the legislator and others for honey-trapping the woman and also attempting to infect others with AIDS. In addition, Munirathna was chargesheeted in November 2024 for allegedly verbally abusing an ex-corporator.
A senior IPS officer, commenting on the investigation, however, said that there was no evidence to substantiate her allegations, because of which, the SIT was closing the case, saying the complaint is false.
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Fire in coach of New Delhi-Chennai express train; no casualty
Nagpur (PTI): A coach of the New Delhi-Chennai Grant Trunk Express caught fire in Maharashtra's Wardha district on Tuesday morning, railway officials said.
There were no casualties, they said.
Train 12616 New Delhi-Chennai (Tambaram) Grant Trunk Express left from Nagpur in the morning. While it was heading towards Sindi railway station in Wardha, smoke was detected in the last guard coach of the train at 11.09 am, Central Railway spokesperson Sanjay Muley told PTI.
The train was stopped on the Sindi-Tuljapur section, the affected coach was detached immediately, and the fire brigade was called, he said.
All passengers in the train and the coach concerned were safe, the official said.
The cause of the fire will be known after a detailed investigation.
The train will resume its journey in some time without the affected coach, the official added.
