Mahima
The legal counsel representing the rape victim in the ‘Sleaze CD case’ announced that she has obtained an order from the Karnataka High Court to the victim before a local court. Lawyer Jagadesh KN Mahadev conveyed that the exact time or date is not specified in the order. Meanwhile, police had deployed heavy security at Magistrate Court expecting the victim’s arrival for recording her statement. Two DCPs, five ACPs, 10 inspectors and 100 police personnel were deployed at the court premises.
Mahadev said, “We will cooperate with the SIT only after she gives the statement before the magistrate. We request the police to provide her security”. The victim has continuously expressed her views through video clips or written statements
from an undisclosed location while the SIT officials are still working on tracking her down. The woman wrote a three-paged letter requesting the Chief Justice to direct the State for providing her protection. In the letter she stated that she is a rape victim and had filed a complaint against former Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi.
She alleged, “Jarikholi is a highly influential person and has already threatened me in public of going to any extent against me.” She further stated, “I have already expressed my apprehension that there is a threat to myself and my parents from Ramesh Jarikholi and I have requested Special Investigation Team (SIT) to provide security for myself and my parents”.
Jarikholi was forced to quit after the allegation of him demanding sexual favors in exchange for giving the woman a job surfaced.
The former minster had then filed a complaint against unnamed people accusing them of framing him and contended that the CD was fake. Following the victim’s complaint, an FIR was lodged against Jarikholi at Cubban Park Police Station for offences under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 376(c) (sexual intercourse by a person in authority), 417 (punishment for cheating), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code and Section 67(A) (punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act, etc, in electronic form ) of the Information Technology Act.