Congress demands immediate arrest of Ramesh Jarkiholi

Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar on Thursday demanded the arrest of former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi on rape charges.

It has been three months since the incident came to light. Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai had assured that the government would register a sexual assault case against the former minister. But the accused is roaming freely. The woman has given a complaint to the SIT. The police should immediately arrest Jarkiholi, the Congress leaders urged.

The accused is charged under Section 376. Within 60 days, the investigation had to be completed. However, the investigation did not take place properly, Siddaramaiah alleged.

Read | Siddaramaiah claims Bommai protecting Ramesh Jarkiholi

Alleging that the state government was not allowing the police to function independently, Shivakumar said the government was setting a precedence by allowing Jarkiholi to go scot-free. “Police cannot decide whether it’s a consensual relationship or whether it’s an assault. The case has to be investigated by the High Court. An inquiry should be conducted even in Karnataka Bhavan. If the government does not take action immediately, Congress will take to streets to protest,” he said.

Meanwhile, there is a conspiracy to defame the woman in the media. Her parents are being harassed too, he said.

“He said he had Covid and got himself admitted into a hospital in Gokak. Everyone gets admitted to a hospital in Bengaluru or to a district hospital. Why did he go to Gokak? Who wears a PPE kit and goes for treatment?” Shivakumar asked, alleging that Jarkiholi was only trying to escape from legal implications. The former minister is trying to destroy proofs, he alleged.