SIT formed to investigate cases against Karnataka BJP MLA Munirathna

The MLA has been booked under multiple sections, including rape, sexual harassment, voyeurism, criminal intimidation, extortion, promoting enmity between different groups, among others.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Saturday issued the order to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the cases against the BJP MLA Munirathna.

The SIT will be headed by the Additional Director General of Police (Economic Offences, CID) BK Singh. Inspector General of Police (Central Range) Labhu Ram, Superintendent of Police (Railways) Soumyalatha and CA Simon, SP awaiting a posting, were the other members of the probe team, the government order stated.

The SIT will be using the CID resources and any further cases registered against the MLA will be transferred to the probe team, the order read.

The Congress government formed the special team a day after a delegation of Congress Vokkaliga ministers and MLAs met CM Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru on Friday urging him to form an SIT. Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Higher Education Minister M C Sudhakar, Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, Madikeri MLA Mantar Gowda and MLC Puttanna were a part of the delegation.

The SIT will be probing three cases registered — two in Vyalikaval police station in Bengaluru and one in Kaggalipura police station in Ramanagara — against the MLA from RR Nagar in Bengaluru.

The MLA has been booked under multiple sections, including rape, sexual harassment, voyeurism, criminal intimidation, extortion, promoting enmity between different groups, word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.