SIT given full freedom to prob sex-for-job scandal: Basavaraj Bommai

BENGALURU: Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said that the State government had given full freedom to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a thorough probe into the sex-for-job scandal allegedly involving former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi. Speaking to the media on Saturday, Bommai said the SIT was formed and 'I have nothing further to say'. "The SIT has been given full freedom. I will not make statements daily on (the investigation). Once the SIT submits its report, the government will take action," he clarified.

The Home Minister met Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and is said to have given him a briefing on the SIT's progress. On Friday, Additional Commissioner of Police (West) Soumendu Mukherjee, who is heading the SIT, reportedly questioned five persons, including four reporters working with regional news channels. It is said that police picked up all four persons from different places including Vijayanagar, Chamarajpet, Yeshwanthpur and neighbouring districts.

According to the preliminary investigation, a friend of the woman in the video had given the clip to media persons. The suspects edited the video and gave it to a journalist who is close to a politician. Later, the plan was hatched to leak the video. The journalist is said to be close to Dinesh Kallahalli who lodged a complaint with the Cubbon Park police alleging that former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi sexually harassed the woman.

The video was uploaded on social media using a Russian server. However, it was actually uploaded from Bengaluru soon after Dinesh had gone to the police commissioner's office. The police verified the CDR of Dinesh and got clues on the people currently being questioned.

A senior police official told The Hans India that two of the four media persons could be in serious trouble as they would register an FIR and arrest them. As of now, the SIT doesn't have any power to arrest anyone as no case has been registered. But they will act according to the law based on their findings.