Bengaluru: A special court in Bengaluru on Tuesday sent BJP MLA Munirathana accused of harassing a BBMP contractor, hurling casteist slurs and outraging a woman’s modesty to judicial custody and listed his bail application on Wednesday.
The MLA from RR Nagar in Bengaluru was produced before the Special Court for MLAs/ MPs (CCH-82) during the day after his two-day police custody ended.
Meanwhile, Munirathna’s counsel moved the court seeking bail. The court listed the matter on Wednesday, directed the prosecution to submit objections and remanded the MLA to judicial custody till September 30.
A team of police officers escorted the MLA to Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in the evening.
Munirathna’s arrest from Kolar on September 14, followed two cases registered in Bengaluru in connection with harassing BBMP contractor Chaluvaraju, hurling casteist slurs and outraging a woman’s modesty, among other allegations.
In the first FIR, Munirathna was booked for criminal intimidation, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace, putting a person in fear of injury to commit extortion, cheating and voluntarily causing hurt, based on the complaint by the contractor, Chaluvaraju.
In the second FIR filed following former corporator Velunayakar's complaint, the MLA was booked under sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and IPC sections related to provocation to commit a riot, promoting enmity between different groups, word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman and intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace.
Munirathna is alleged to have made the offensive remarks during a conversation with the BBMP contractor. DH could not independently verify the authenticity of the audio clip, which has been widely shared on social media and is with the FSL.
Police on Monday collected the MLA and the contractor’s voice samples and sent them to FSL for analysis. A report is awaited.
Published 17 September 2024, 11:24 IST