BJP MLA Munirathna
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: A special court in Bengaluru on Saturday remanded BJP MLA Munirathna to judicial custody for 14 days.
Munirathna was arrested by the Kaggalipura police on Friday morning, moments after he walked out of the Parappana Agrahara prison after a three-day judicial custody in connection with an SC/ST atrocity case.
His arrest was related to a third case where the RR Nagar MLA was accused of raping a 40-year-old social worker multiple times. The case was registered by the Kaggalipura police on Wednesday night.
After the arrest procedures were completed, Munirathna was produced before the Special Court for MLAs/ MPs (CCH-82) in Bengaluru on Saturday and the court remanded him in judicial custody. The MLA was then taken to the Parappana Agrahara Central prison.
Munirathna’s arrest from Kolar on September 14, followed two cases registered in Bengaluru in connection with harassing BBMP contractor Chaluvaraju, hurling casteist slurs and outraging a woman’s modesty, among other allegations.
In the first FIR, Munirathna was booked for criminal intimidation, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace, putting a person in fear of injury to commit extortion, cheating and voluntarily causing hurt, based on the complaint by the contractor, Chaluvaraju.
In the second FIR filed following former corporator Velunayakar's complaint, the MLA was booked under sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and IPC sections related to provocation to commit a riot, promoting enmity between different groups, word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman and intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace.
Munirathna is alleged to have made the offensive remarks during a conversation with the BBMP contractor. The audio clip has been widely shared on social media and is with the FSL. Police also collected the MLA and the contractor’s voice samples and sent them to FSL for analysis. Earlier this week, the special court had granted bail to Munirathna in the first two cases.