Minister Ramanath Rai: Won't save son if he's guilty

Mangaluru/ Mysuru: Like all politicians, forest minister Ramanath Rai said on Monday that law should take its course against his son Deepu Rai, who allegedly misbehaved in Kodagu on Sunday, but local police officers pleaded  they were helpless as the complaint and counter were withdrawn late last night.

“I will not interfere or pressurize anybody,” Mr Rai told the media in Mangaluru while commenting about his son Deepu and his friends who invited the wrath of local residents by playing music beyond permissible limits near Srimangala in Kodagu. Later, he and Tejappa, former gram panchayat president of T Shettygeri, got into an argument and pushed each other. He was handed over to the  police by residents but no case was filed at Srimangala police station.  

The minister said “earlier, when a person tried to get transferred using my son’s name, I had given an appropriate reply to him. We cannot answer for anything our children do outside. Action has to be taken against anybody who errs.”
When contacted, superintendent of police (Kodagu), Rajendra Prasad, said “No matter who it is, we would have registered a case, but both (Deepu and Tejappa) who had complained against each other did not want us to register any case. So, we were forced to stop.”  

Police officers at Srimangal station said “pushing is not assaulting and it is not worth a case. Also, public nuisance is a non-cognizable offence, and it (FIR) should have been lodged after taking permission from a court. But Deepu and Tejappa, who were in the station for over one hour and 15 minutes, arrived at a compromise, and gave in writing that they do not want cases to be registered against each other.”