Cops to look into porngate plaint

The 8th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) has referred a private complaint against three former ministers - Lakshman Savadi, C C Patil and Krishna Palemar - to the Vidhana Soudha police for investigation. 

The complainant, advocate Dharmapal Gowda, had alleged that Savadi and Patil, in their capacity as ministers on February 7, 2012, had watched porn on a phone while the Assembly was discussing farmers’ issues. 

Gowda says Palemar had flouted rules by sending the porn clip from his phone. The investigation has been handed over to the police under Section 156 (3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Dignity of House hit

The complainant said that this act of the MLAs had lowered the prestige of the House and damaged the reputation of the State across the world. 

Gowda alleged that an FIR should have been filed and the accused should have been produced before a magistrate. But since they were ministers, no action was taken by the police in accordance with law. He contended that the police should have registered a case of cyber crime offences, after bringing it to the notice of the Speaker. 

Trio claim innocence

The complainant said that since the three had maintained that they were innocent and were victims of adverse media publicity, which had lowered their image in the eyes of the people, a proper investigation had to be conducted by the police to know the truth of the matter. 

The complainant said that the three ex-ministers could be charged under Sections 292, 294 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code. 

The matter has been adjourned to February 27.

No comments: Speaker 

Speaker Bopaiah refused to comment on the court directing the police to conduct an inquiry into the porngate episode involving three former ministers in the Assembly.

“I will not comment. If the aggrieved persons feel that injustice has been done to them, they will have to legally fight it out themselves,” Bopaiah said.