File photo of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Credit: DH Photo/S K Dinesh
Bengaluru: A delegation of Congress Vokkaliga ministers and MLAs met CM Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru on Friday and urged him to form an SIT to investigate the allegations against arrested BJP MLA Munirathna.
Munirathna has been booked under charges of criminal intimidation, extortion, making casteist slurs and accusations of rape and so on.
The delegation comprised Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, Higher Education Minister M C Sudhakar, Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, Madikeri MLA Manthar Gowda, MLC Puttanna and others. Speaking to reporters in Mysuru later, Siddaramaiah said: “They have submitted a memorandum, said three cases have been registered against Munirathna and they urged me to hand it over to an SIT. I have told them that I will discuss this with Home Minister G Parameshwara and decide.”
Meanwhile, former Bangalore Rural MP D K Suresh alleged that Munirathna was trying to infect his enemies with HIV and urged the government to investigate it.
In the FIR lodged against Munirathna on September 18, the third since September 13, a 40-year-old woman had accused the Rajarajeshwarinagar MLA of coaxing her into assisting him in honey-trapping a former corporator’s husband with the help of another woman, who he later said had HIV.
The former MP said Munirathna had made derogatory comments on Vokkaligas and Dalits and urged the seers of both communities to lead the protests.