Verdict in rape case involving ex-minister on August 17

The Second Additional District & Sessions Court here on Tuesday posted for judgement in the rape case involving former minister Hartal Halappa to August 17 as the written order was not ready.

Judge B G Rama was expected to pronounce the verdict in the seven-year-old rape case on Tuesday. Former Food and Civil Supplies minister Halappa, the prime accused in the case, was present in the court hall on Tuesday. A M Suresh Kumar, public prosecutor, told DH that the judge will now pronounce the order on August 17.

Chandrawathi, wife of Halappa’s friend Venkatesh Murthy, had complained that she was raped by Halappa at her house in Shivamogga on November 27, 2009. She had lodged a complaint with the Vinobnagar police station here in this regard.

The case had triggered a series of protests across the state, which had prompted the then Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to drop Halappa from the ministry. Later, the case was handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The CID in its charge sheet had stated that two laboratory analyses have confirmed the charges of the victim that she was raped by Halappa, a former MLA from Sorab in Shivamogga district in March 2011, the CID had filed the charge sheet against Halappa in the Shimoga Judicial Magistrate First Class court that he had raped Chandravati.

The CID had sent the clothes worn by Halappa and Chandrawathi at the time of the ‘rape’ to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Hyderabad (CFSL). The report said: “The accused’s semen was found on his dhoti (lungi) and on the complainant’s ‘petticoat, nighty and bedsheet’ [sic]. The DNA test has confirmed the same.”

Venkatesh Murthy had submitted a video recording where Halappa and Chandravati were both seen in a bedroom. He had claimed that he had recorded it on his cell phone soon after his wife was raped between 3.30 am and 4 am on November 27. He had submitted the copy of the recording in a CD. Halappa had denied the entire incident.

The CID had considered the clippings as one of the evidences and had sent it to a laboratory in New Delhi. The report said: “There is no indication of alteration in the CD.”