CID Charge Sheet Confirms Rape by Hartal Halappa

Bangalore, April 25 (Deccan Herald)  : The Criminal Investigation Department in its charge sheet against former minister and BJP MLA H Halappa has stated that the two laboratory analyses have confirmed the charges of the victim that she was raped by Halappa. 

These reports have come as a conclusive evidence besides her oral complaint to the police.

Deccan Herald has obtained a copy of the charge sheet from the CID under the Right to Information Act. The CID had filed the charge sheet against Halappa in the Shimoga JMFC last month alleging that he had raped Chandravati, wife of Venkatesh Murthy of Shimoga on November 27, 2009. The charge sheet was submitted to the court by M S Koulapure, Detective Inspector, CID, Bangalore.

The CID had sent the clothes worn by Halappa and Chandravati at the time of the rape to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Hyderabad (CFSL). The report says: “The accused’s semen was found on his dhoti (lungi) and on the complainant’s ‘petticoat, nighty and bedsheet’ [sic]. The DNA test has confirmed the same.”

Venkatesh Murthy had submitted a video recording where Halappa and Chandravati were both seen in a bedroom. Murthy had claimed that he had recorded it on his cell phone soon after his wife was raped between 3.30 am and 4 am on November 27. He had submitted the copy of the recording in a CD. Halappa had denied the entire incident.

The CID had considered the clippings as one of the evidences and had sent it to a laboratory in New Delhi. The report said: “There is no indication of alteration in the CD.”

The time at which the incident took place as per the complainant matches with the time shown in the video recording on the cell phone. However, Murthy has reportedly discarded the memory chip of the phone.

Sources in the CID said the video was recorded on a Nokia handset and the duration of the recording was just two to three seconds. The investigation has also revealed that Halappa had made at least 10 calls to the victim between 5 pm and 7 pm. The accused had falsely claimed that he checked into the inspection bungalow in Shimoga on November 26 and had stayed at the Forest department guest house. He had no health complications whatsoever either on November 26 or 27 or prior to that, barring hypertension, sources said.

During the investigation, when Murthy was asked as to why he had put his two children in a lodge in Shimoga on November 26, he is said to have replied that since Halappa had expressed his intention of discussing something important with the couple, he had sent the children to the hotel.

The investigation report said the accused went for dinner to Murthy’s house on November 26 at around 10 pm and stayed overnight. Halappa sent Murthy to fetch some medicines from the guest house around 3.30 am. He then raped the victim in her bedroom. Murthy, who was suspicious about Halappa’s intention, returned immediately and found his wife screaming and Halappa leaving the room. The same was recorded on the cell phone.

The CID has chargesheeted Halappa under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code. The case is coming up for hearing on May 5.