Woman in Meti CD: I was forced to make false charge

Hubballi: In the latest twist to the H.Y. Meti scandal, the woman,  Vijayalaxmi, who had accused the minister of seeking sexual favours in return for a transfer, claimed on Tuesday that she had made the accusation under duress and he was like a “father figure” to her. 

However she added to the confusion later claiming that if the CD hit the public domain, Mr Meti and his gunman would be responsible, and reportedly got admitted to a hospitla in Bagalkote.

Backtracking on her statement of December 11, denying she was the woman in the video shown on TV channels, she told reporters in Bagalkot  she was forced to make false sexual harassment charges against Mr Meti by a group of four unidentified men, who threatened to kill her otherwise. “I have  lodged an oral complaint with the Bagalkot superintendent of police against the four and  sought police protection,” she added.

Alleging that the minister’s gunman, a district armed reserve (DAR) policeman, Subhas Mugalkhod, was behind the conspiracy to tarnish his image, Ms Vijayalakshmi  claimed the four men had taken her to the Hubballi bypass road on November 22 and forcibly recorded her statement against him.

"I have been traumatised over the last month since making the   charges against the minister.  I earlier said I was not the women in the video because I was being threatened. I have a lot of respect for the minister, who is  my distant relative. DAR constable Subhas has hatched this conspiracy," she alleged.

Superintendant of police, M.N. Nagaraj said  the police would launch a search for Subhas Mugalkod,  who was absconding after Ms Vijayalaxmi lodged a complaint against him.