SIT Constituted to Probe Criminal Cases Against BJP MLA Munirathna
BENGALURU: Considering the seriousness of criminal cases registered against Bharatiya Janata Party MLA and former minister Munirathna, the State Government on Saturday decided to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The SIT has been asked to complete its investigation and submit its report to the State Government at the earliest.
After a rape case was registered against BJP MLA representing Rajaresjeshwari Nagar Assembly seat in Bengaluru city led to his arrest by the police on Friday. Meanwhile, a Special Court for People’s Representative, Bengaluru on Saturday remanded Munirathna to 14-days judicial custody.
Two criminal cases have been registered against Munirathna in Vyalikaval police station in Bengaluru city on charge of intimidation demanding bribe from a contractor and caste abuse while a rape case has been registered the BJP MLA by a 40-year-old woman at Kaggalipura police station in Ramanagar district.
The formation of SIT against BJP MLA was disclosed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on his social networking site on Saturday and asked to include other cases registered in other police stations, if any, against the BJP MLA under the ambit of SIT investigation. If any other complaint that deserves to be registered a case shall also come under the SIT investigation.
stated the decision to constitute a SIT was decided based on the seriousness of the criminal cases registered against the MLA. Siddaramaiah asked officials concerned to hand over all cases registered against the MLA in various police stations to the SIT constituted under CID.
The SIT constituted by the State Government is headed by Additional Director General of Police CID B.K. Singh while Lamboo Ram, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Central Zone, Bengaluru city, Sowmyalatha, Superintendent of Police Railways, Bengaluru and C.A. Simon, Superintendent of Police (waiting for posting) are its members.
A week back, an audio recording was released by contractor Cheluvaraju wherein BJP MLA Munirathna allegedly intimidated the contractor demanding Rs 30 lakh bribe to get contract works in Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and caste abused the contractor.
The caste abuse by the BJP MLA did not go down well with the members of Vokkaliga community, a politically dominant community in Karnataka and mounted pressure on the Chief Minister demanding formation of SIT to probe the accusations against Munirathna.