Sex-for-job scandal: Bengaluru police book FIR against Ramesh Jarkiholi

Bengaluru: Acting swiftly in a politically sensitive case, the Bengaluru police registered a complaint and submitted a First Information Report (FIR) against former minister Ramesh Jarakiholi to the local court on Friday afternoon.

The woman, who claims to be a victim of sexual exploitation by the former minister, lodged her complaint through her legal counsel K. N. Jagadeesh in the Cubbon Park police station, where the first complaint in this regard was filed by social activist Dinseh Kallenahalli on March 2.

In the FIR, the complainant in Kannada alleged that she was sexually exploited twice on the pretext of offering her a government job by the former minister. She also alleged that she feared for her family and her life from the accused.

Though, Kallenhalli, within four days of lodging a complaint with the police, backed out and withdrew his complaint through his legal counsel. After the complaint was withdrawn, the State government formed a SIT headed by Bengaluru Additional Police Commissioner (West) Soumendhu Mukherjee.

"Now, I will approach the DG and IGP seeking security to the woman and her family members who are in Kalaburagi. We cannot reveal the details of the FIR or the sections because the case is about the sexual offence," the woman's lawyer said.

According to Cubbon Park police sources, a few sections mentioned in the FIR are IPC sections 376c (Sexual intercourse by a person in authority), 354a (Sexual harassment), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (Criminal intimidation) 417 (Cheating) and IT Act 67a (Publishing or transmitting of material containing the sexually explicit act).

Ramesh Jarkiholi had resigned as Water Resources Minister in the BS Yediyurappa cabinet on March 3 on 'moral grounds'.