Rape case against Rly minister's son, more drama unfolds

In a major embarrassment to Railway Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, a Kannada starlet today insisted she was his son's wife and their family being aware of it must accept her, a day after she filed a complaint of rape and cheating against the son.

Gowda cried foul asserting that his son had been "falsely implicated" but said the law should take its own course on the complaint which was filed here on a day when his son's engagement ceremony with another woman took place at Kushalnagar in Kodagu district.

As the small time model-turned-actress' complaint against Karthik Gowda became a full blown scandal and kicked up a storm in Karnataka with her appearance on TV channels giving more details of her side of the story, the minister said, "...it's a falsely implicated complaint..." The Congress government in the state also said law would take its own course.

Bangalore Police Commissioner M N Reddi told PTI that the police would act as per law. "Yes we will summon him and if found guilty, will arrest him," he said.

A case was booked last night against Karthik under Sections 376 (punishment for rape) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code on the basis of the complaint filed by the woman.

The woman claimed that Karthik and she had got married at Gowda's residence in Mangalore in June in the presence of only the driver of Gowda's son. "I have married him.

Please accept me as your daughter-in-law," she told Gowda's family, maintaining that they were aware of the marriage but were not willing to accept her.

"My marriage has happened. I can't take anybody else as my husband," the woman said while rejecting suggestions that she was trying to blackmail the Gowda family.

She admitted that she had joined the Congress two-and-a- half or three years ago, but said her political affiliation had nothing to do with her complaint. She said she respects Gowda as a politician.

The issue also took a political turn with a group of Congress activists staging a protest here.

As more drama unfolded, Gowda said in Kochi,"...it's a falsely implicated complaint ...". He also said "I don't want to say anything, law will take its own course, even if it is my son or somebody law will take its own course. I will not interfere in the matter, I will do my duty," he said.

The issue also reached the Karnataka Women's Commission, whose chairperson Manjula Manasa said the woman's sister had approached it. "I will talk to the woman and her family. An FIR has been registered. We will write to police department."

Refusing to be drawn into the issue, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, "law will take its own course." Home Minister K J George said Government would in no way interfere in the case, adding, "The investigating officer will be given a free hand."

On allegations that Congress is behind the incident, he said, "No one is behind it. A complaint has been registered and based on it investigation officer will investigate. We will not interfere in any way. I don't know who is behind it."

The woman, who also addressed a press conference here, said she respects Prime Minister Narendra Modi and would seek justice from him.

Asked if she had been approached by Gowda's family, she said "nobody has contacted me" directly. She also claimed she had told Gowda's wife to accept her and she would be a "good daughter-in-law".

Karthik was engaged to another woman after the Gowda family came to know about her relationship with him, she said.

On allegations that her photo with Karthik may be morphed, she said, "These are not morphed photos, because they were not taken by me. These were actually taken by his friends....which he sent me..