Special court grants bail to BJP MLA Munirathna in rape case

Bengaluru: A special court in Bengaluru on Tuesday granted conditional bail to BJP MLA N Munirathna in a rape case filed by a 40-year-old woman last month.

The special court for MLAs and MPs judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat passed an order granting bail to the BJP MLA who is currently lodged in Parappana Agrahara Central Prison. The court asked Munirathna to refrain from threatening prosecution witnesses and acts of destroying evidence. He was also asked to appear before investigators when needed and not to leave the court's jurisdiction with its permission.

Munirathna was arrested by the Ramanagara district’s Kaggalipura police on September 20. The arrest of the BJP parliamentarian followed a social worker filing a case against Munirathna, accusing him of repeated rape, sexual harassment, voyeurism, and a few other offences on September 18.

According to her, Munirathna was also involved in honey-trapping a few politicians and police officers. In her statement before the judge, she had also said that Munirathna had raped her in Vikasa Soudha and his official car.

Earlier to the rape case, Munirathna was accused in two other cases, including a SC/ST atrocity case and a criminal intimidation case filed against him in Vyalikaval police station. He was arrested in the atrocity case and was released on bail. He had obtained anticipatory bail in the criminal intimidation case.

Following a slew of cases against the RR Nagar legislator, the state government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe cases against him. He was sent to judicial custody on October 6.