Ramesh Jarkiholi calls sleeze video fake, vows to wage legal battle

Bengaluru: First time after he resigned as water resources minister in the B.S. Yediyurappa Cabinet over alleged sex-for-job scandal, Ramesh Jarkiholi held a press conference at his residence here on Tuesday and claimed that the video showing him in a compromising position with an unidentified woman, was part of a "political conspiracy" to tarnish his image and finish off his political career. He went on to assert that the video was fake and he knew the person who was behind the "conspiracy". Reacting to the sleeze video, Ramesh Jarkiholi turned emotional and said more than his political career, his family's honour was at stake and he would fight to the finish to preserve that. He thanked his wife and children for standing behind him during tough times.

"This (sex) CD is 100 percent fake and completely baseless. I got to know about the CD four months ago. I was asked about it then and I said I had no idea. I didn't act because it was not the truth and I ignored it. Now it got public and in fact I got a call from a well-wisher 26 hours before the video had gone viral," Ramesh said. A police complaint was lodged against him by a social activist, Kallahalli Dinesh, with the Cubbon Park police in the city alleging that Ramesh sexually exploited the woman promising a job in the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation (KPTC). In a surprise move, the social activist withdrew his complaint on Sunday, a day after a city court issued orders restraining media from publishing or airing any 'defamatory' and unconfirmed' content against ministers. It may be recalled that six ministers in the Yediyurappa Cabinet approached the court to restrain media from publishing or airing any content that could sully their image. Ramesh alleged that one to four leaders were behind the conspiracy to defame him but refused to disclose their names. "I was warned. Still, I was undeterred because I have not done anything wrong. One great leader is behind the conspiracy against me. I am not at liberty to say much.

The conspiracy to create this CD was hatched on the fifth floor of a building next to Orion Mall and on the fourth floor of another building near Yeshwanthpur Police Station. As far as my information goes, the woman in the alleged CD was "paid Rs 5 crore and given two flats abroad and not just Rs 50 lakh as was being rumoured," he said. Ramesh demanded that the government investigate the case and put in jail those responsible for the scandal. "It was Kumaraswamy and (his brother) HD Revanna who spoke with me first," he said. Jarkiholi, who represents Gokak, was among the chief architects in causing the downfall of the Congress-JD(S) coalition, paving the way for the BJP to come to power. "I may or may not come back to politics, but to me, my family's honour is at stake. No matter how much its costs I will wage a legal battle until those behind this conspiracy and those who created this fake CD, are sent to jail," he vowed.