Karnataka Minister HK Patil demands suspension of BJP MLA Munirathna following arrest in rape case
Sep 24, 2024
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 24 : Karnataka Law Minister HK Patil on Monday demanded the suspension of BJP MLA Munirathna from the assembly following his arrest in an alleged rape case.
Patil, in a letter to Assembly Speaker UT Khader, also demanded the formation of an "Ethics Committee of State Legislature" to control and regulate the behaviour of members inside and outside the House.
On September 21, the Special Court of People's Representatives in Bengaluru remanded Munirathna to 14-day judicial custody a day after he was arrested by the Bengaluru rural police.
A case was registered against Munirathna and six others, including Vijay Kumar, Sudhakara, Kiran Kumar, Lohit Gowda, Manjunath and Loki, under IPC Sections 354A (sexual harassment), 354C (voyeurism), 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 120(b) (Concealing design to commit offence), 149 (Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 384 (extortion), 406 (criminal breach of trust), and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide).
As per the complaint, the incident happened at a private resort under the limits of Kaggalipura police station.
Munirathna was earlier arrested and released on bail on cases of alleged harassment and threatening. The case was based on a complaint filed by a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) contractor. The BJP MLA and three others were booked under IPC sections 37 (cooperation by doing one of several acts constituting an offence), 506 (criminal intimidation), 505 (Statements conducing public mischief), 385 (Putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt).
The contractor alleged the MLA demanded commission of around Rs 20 lakh in connection with a contract and he offered Rs l lakh but Munirathna insisted on the full amount.
