Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)
Updated
Bengaluru, Mar 7: In a fresh development in the sensational job-for-sex scandal involving BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, social worker and activist Dinesh Kallahalli has decided to withdraw his complaint against the former minister.
"His (Kallahalli's) lawyer Kumar Patil submitted a letter in Kannada to us stating that he was withdrawing the complaint against Jarkiholi, as he was accused of taking Rs 5-crore ransom and damaging the reputation of the woman and her family," a police official told reporters here.
Earlier, the activist had alleged that Jarkiholi had sexual relationship with a woman on the pretext of providing her a job in KPTCL. A sleaze tape was also released. The matter created headlines in national media and Jarkiholi even tendered his resignation from the state cabinet.
Kallahalli had filed a complaint in the Cubbon Park police station of the city on March 2 against Jarkiholi. He had also given a statement in this regard to the police on Friday. Ramesh Jarkiholi was forced to resign after the video went viral on social media and other electronic media. The activist had also threatened to release the video of three more ministers of BJP. As many as six ministers later approached the court seeking injunction and were granted protection against publication of defamatory content in media.
The activist had earlier cited threat to life before producing himself in front of the police team for inquiry.
Kallahalli has said that he did not release Jarkiholi's sleaze video. He also added that he was upset and saddened by JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy's allegation that he had struck a Rs 5 crore deal to make the video public.
"As I am hurt after former state Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy alleged that I took ransom for exposing Jarkiholi through a CD, whose release in the public domain has caused damage to the victim's family," said Kallahalli in the letter.
Though police waited for Kallahalli to depose before its investigation team in the case since March 4, he sought protection to visit Cubbon Park police station, as he feared for life following threatening calls from unknown persons.
"We will study the contents of Kallahalli's letter given through his lawyer for the next course of action as he does not want to pursue the case due to pressure," police said.
Jarkiholi resigned as state water resources minister on March 3 a day after Kallahalli complained to the police that the accused had cheated a woman after an intimate relationship and released the sleaze CD to local news channels.
Jarkiholi, a legislator from Gokak assembly segment in Belagavi district in the southern state's northwest region, defected from the Congress after resigning from the seat and got re-elected in the December 5, 2019 by-election and became a minister on February 6 during the second cabinet expansion of the ruling BJP government.
Though Jarkiholi denied any wrongdoing and accused his political rivals of conspiring to damage his reputation through a purported sleaze CD and oust him from the ministry, the BJP high command forced him to resign ahead of the month-long budget session since March 4 for saving its government from further embarrassment.
"I wanted police to inquire into my complaint against Jarkiholi for allegedly harassing a woman who approached him for a official favour and had intimate relation with her. Instead, the victim and her family have been humiliated by playing up the CD in news channels and social media platforms, which has tainted them. I am not interested in pursuing the case anymore," said the activist through his lawyer.
With IANS Inputs