Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Dec 16: It has been several weeks since the advocate accused of sexually harassing a law student went underground after a case was registered against him. The police have so far found it impossible to nab him.
Accused advocate K S N Rajesh, had visited different temple towns like Tirupati and Kalahasti besides Bengaluru but he has somehow been able to give the police a slip. There is suspicion now that he might have fled out of the country. The police are trying to find out this possibility.
K S N Rajesh
A case about sexual harassment was registered in the women's police station here against the advocate in question on October 18 this year. He escaped immediately. Four teams led by city south subdivision assistant police commissioner, Ranjith Bandaru, were formed and investigation had started. A team of policemen led by Konaje station inspector Prakash, went to Andhra Pradesh, while another led by Ullal sub-inspector Pradeep went to Bengaluru and Hassan. Kankanady station’s Raghu Naik led a team to Bengaluru and also searched possible hideouts here. But the four teams, in spite of their best efforts, have failed to find his whereabouts.
After the sexual harassment case was registered against Rajesh, he bought a new mobile phone at Bendorewell. By using different techniques, he has been able to foil efforts of the policemen by using SIMs standing in the names of different people. He has not been using the services of the banks and ATMs and has been transacting in cash alone. The police accessed records to prove that he had travelled to Bengaluru, Tirupathi and Kalahasti.
Noticing that accused Rajesh's arrest had not been happening, various organizations including those representing the students met the police officers and pressured them to arrest the accused at the earliest. The police commissioner, in this background, issued a lookout notice against the accused on November 11. His 12 bank accounts have been frozen. It however has come as ironic that a Lokayukta court's public prosecutor, and advocate who succeeded in ensuring that the accused were sentenced in 23 of the 26 cases he handled, has gone missing.
The anticipatory bail application moved by him in the sixth additional district court here was rejected on November 1. The high court has also upheld this decision of the district court. A few persons including the advocate’s wife had been arrested on the charges of extending help to the accused to escape from police. Some are out on bail now.
It is likely that the accused is deriving maximum benefit from the rule to mandatorily wear masks when in public places. The police who went to some places on the basis of information collected, could see a person matching his physical features in the CCTV footage but as he wears masks, he has remained safe even after a lookout notice was issued, the police said.
The police have gathered information about the places used by the advocate as a hideout and the police are confident of arresting him soon, said sources.