A private complaint was filed at a Bengaluru court on Tuesday against the Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant and two other police officers for not registering a case against Ramesh Jarkiholi when the first complaint against him was filed on March 2 by social activist Dinesh Kallahalli.
The complaint was registered at the 8th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court and the next date of hearing is April 16. The complaint is against Kamal Pant, MN Anucheth, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Central, and Maruthi B, Police Inspector, Cubbon Park police station in Bengaluru.
"(Complaint) for failing to register FIR for alleged offences of sexual intercourse by a person in authority such as the then Minister of Water Resources, Ramesh Jarkiholi on a complaint dated 02/03/2021 by one person named, Mr. Dinesh Kallahalli
The complaint further said the police officials failed to carry out their duties and acted in a prejudiced manner against the purported victim in the case.
Dinesh Kallahalli had approached the Cubbon Park police station on March 2 with a CD containing visuals of sexual acts by Ramesh Jarkiholi along with a woman. He claimed that the former minister coerced the woman by offering a government job. The visuals in the CD were aired on social media and on news channels in the state.
Police officials did not register an FIR based on Dinesh Kallahalli's complaint and the social activist later withdrew his complaint.
An FIR was registered in the case against Ramesh Jarkiholi on March 26 when the woman filed a complaint. Jarkiholi was accused under sections 354A (Sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 417 (Punishment for cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult), 376 C (Sexual intercourse by person in authority) of the Indian Penal Code. He has also been booked under 67A (Punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit acts) of the Information Technology Act.
Ramesh Jarkiholi is currently being investigated by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) even as he recovers from COVID-19 in a hospital in Bengaluru. The woman, represented by her advocate Jagadesh Mahadev, has recorded her statement in court in the case.