Karnataka: Court Grants Bail to BJP MLC C.T. Ravi

Bengaluru: The Special Court exclusively to deal with criminal cases against MPs/MLAs, Bengaluru on Friday passed an interim order to release Bharatiya Janata Party MLC and former minister C.T. Ravi from police custody in connection with the alleged derogatory slur he made against Congress leader and Minister for Women and Child Welfare Laxmi Hebbalkar. The Special Court posted Ravi's bail application for hearing on Saturday.

It is alleged Ravi used a derogatory slur against the Minister during the Assembly session in Belagavi on Thursday and after a complaint, Hirebagewadi police (Belagavi) took Ravi into their custody.

On Friday, Ravi moved the Special Court for MPs/MLAs seeking quashing of the First Information Report against him. Ravi was ferried to Bengaluru city from Belagavi on Friday escorted by police personnel.

After the release order, BJP on its social networking site welcomed the release order of its leader C.T. Ravi and he stated “It is a setback for the conspiracy hatched by the State Government (led by Congress party).”

Reacting to his arrest, C.T. Ravi in one of his social media posts, stated “A false case has been registered against him” and alleged after he was taken into police custody, it took 3-hours for the police to provide him first aid for his head injury.

Earlier, speaking to media persons on Friday in Mandya , Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, referred to the use of derogatory slur by BJP MLC C.T. Ravi, stated normally, a woman does not dare to register a false complaint against a person and said “I do not know the circumstances in which he (Ravi) made the derogatory slur.” Siddaramaiah termed the alleged slur as an “offence.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar stated he is in possession of evidence over the use of derogatory slur by C.T. Ravi against Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar and claimed that the BJP MLC uttered derogatory slur at least 12 times at the Minister.

Shivakumar termed C.T. Ravi “a serial abuser (of political leaders)” and pointed out to an instance wherein Ravi had addressed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as “Sidramulla Khan.” He said Ravi has been foul mouthing Congress leaders on several occasions.