Fake sex CD row: Cabinet decides to resume legal proceedings

The Cabinet on Tuesday decided to grant permission to continue proceedings against those accused in a “fake” porn CD row, allegedly shot and doctored to defame Raghaveshwara Bharathi, pontiff of the Ramachandrapura Mutt.

Briefing reporters, Law Minister J C Madhuswamy said that the accused had ventured to defame the seer as well as “hurt religious sentiments and integrity of the nation” by depicting the him in poor light. While a Cabinet decision in 2015, when the Congress was in power, had directed authorities to withdraw charge sheets filed in the case, the BJP government has now ordered to continue proceedings against the accused in the case, Madhuswamy said.

Additional leave

Noting that several government employees cannot avail leaves on the fourth Saturday of every month, Madhuswamy said that the government has allotted 15 casual leaves for such employees.

He said that personnel from several departments, such as police and women & child development department were not granted leaves on fourth Saturday. These employees will benefit from casual leaves.

Earlier, the government had reduced CLs to such employees to 10 from 15.

Cases withdrawn

The Cabinet also decided to withdraw 51 cases filed against activists of various farmer organisations in different parts of Karnataka.

Of the total cases, 35 pertain to Mandya Raitha Hitharakshana Samithi. Cases were filed against members of the Samithi during Cauvery agitation in the past few years, he said. Apart from the Samithi, cases filed in Belagavi, Dharwad and other districts against farmers during agitations for irrigation projects were also decided to be withdrawn by the Cabinet.

The government also allocated Rs 99.95 cr for upgrading the Bidar Central Jail as a special central jail, Madhuswamy said. In the next three years, capacity of the jail will increase from the present 114 to 1,000. High-security barracks will be constructed at the jail which has 200 inmates.