Kalaburagi, Dec 7 (IANS): Karnataka Police arrested BJP leader Manikanth Rathod in Kalaburagi city on Thursday for making false allegations against Minister for RDPR, IT, and BT Priyank Kharge.

The police maintained that Rathod had portrayed a mere accident as an attempt on his life by associates of Minister Kharge.

Rathod had organised a press conference regarding this matter, but the police took him into custody before he could address the media.

Following the allegations, the police interrogated Rathod's associates, and he confessed during the probe. Rathod informed the police that he had been in an accident and sustained injuries but misrepresented it as an attack on him.

Rathod's car had met with an accident near Chepetla in the Yadgir district and he suffered injuries after the vehicle collided with a tree. He then had the car transported to Hyderabad and returned in another vehicle.

Subsequently, he claimed that a group of seven to eight individuals attacked him while he was traveling from Chittapur to Kalaburagi. Rathod allegedly even broke the car's window glasses during this supposed attack. He received treatment at a private hospital in Chittapur before being transferred to a hospital in Kalaburagi.

The police grew suspicious when no traces of blood were found in the vehicle. After investigation, they discovered that Rathod was attempting to manipulate the accident case and give it a political twist.

Rathod had contested against Priyank Kharge from the Chittapur constituency in the Assembly elections but lost. The well-known political rivalry between the two leaders adds context to the recent developments. Shahabad police are currently handling the investigation into the case.