Scandal-hit Halappa Goes into Hiding
Bangalore, May 5 : Former minister Haratalu Halappa did the disappearing act amid reports that he will move the court for an anticipatory bail on Tuesday. The former minister was incommunicado through the day even as his staff packed official files and checked out of the room allotted to him in Vidhana Soudha. “We have not met him or heard from him in the last two days. We are here to vacate the office today,” Srirangaiah, his private secretary, told.
His former cabinet colleagues too were not aware of his whereabouts. “We have decided to move on and focus on next week’s gram panchayat elections,” said one minister.
According to party sources said Halappa has consulted lawyers and senior party leaders ahead of seeking an anticipatory bail in order to avoid an arrest in the case of sexual assault lodged against him by Chandravati in Shimoga. It would help the party if the former minister stayed away from public events and even the glare of the media ahead of next week’s gram panchayat polls, the sources added.
In Shimoga, state BJP president K.S. Eshwarappa said the former minister spoke to him last night and complained of stress in the wake of the complaint against him. “I don’t know where he is, but I have advised him to spend time with his family,” he said.
He confirmed that Venkatesh Murthy, husband of the victim Chandravati, had approached him a couple of months ago about the “sexual misconduct” of Halappa. “I advised him to file a complaint with the police and seek my advice if there was any problem in filing the complaint,” he added.
Halappa’s friend-turned-foe Belur Gopalkrishna was also one of the leaders who received calls from Venkatesh Murthy. “I think it was two months ago that he asked me to intervene and settle the matter. I told him to approach the local police when I heard that it was about an episode that occurred last year. Later on, I also heard that he spoke to some of the prominent members of Idiga community and sought their intervention,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa rejected the demand of Opposition parties for a probe by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the sexual assault case.
CID team gets cracking in Shimoga
If the CID gets enough prima facie evidence against former minister Hartalu Halappa he may be arrested and subsequently charge-sheeted in the next three months. Under the IPC a rape accused should be chargesheeted within 90 days of his arrest failing which he can get bail.
The CID, which on Monday registered a criminal case against Mr. Halappa, his associates Girish and Basavaraju and others for rape, criminal restraint, criminal intimidation, wrongful confinement under the IPC has already initiated the process.
“We have sent a team to Shimoga headed by DySP (CID) Renuka Srikumar to
take over investigation and do the mahazar (inspection of material and crime scene signed by two independent witnesses of sound credentials),” said Deputy Inspector General of Police (CID), K.S.R. Charan Reddy.
The 12-page complaint written in flawless English and filed by the alleged rape victim - Chandravathi and her husband Venkatesh Murthy, a former friend of Mr Halappa, on Monday was faxed to the CID on which they registered the case. “There are some gaps in the complaint, which I am sure we will be able to fill while taking the statements of the complainants. There are no annexure sand the video footage of the alleged rape. We will ask for them”.
On whether the time lapse, from the time of the incident - in November 2009 to the filing of complaint will adversely effect investigation, the DIG said such cases have been successfully investigated in the past.