Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Monday sought explanation from the police on why controversial journalist Ravi Belagere was allowed to smoke while in police custody.
Visuals of Ravi smoking in a police car on Sunday were broadcast by Kannada news channels.
“It was wrong of the police to allow Ravi Belagere to smoke inside the police car. When a suspect is in custody, he or she cannot be allowed to smoke. I have spoken to the police regarding this incident,” the Home Minister told TNM.
According to sources in the police, Ravi refused to get down from the vehicle until and unless he was given a cigarette.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Jinendra Khanagavi of the Central Crime Branch had also said that a probe will be done into how Ravi used a cell phone during custody.
Ravi was housed at the office of the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Subramanya, for four days since his arrest on Friday before the First Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court remanded him to 12 days judicial custody on Monday.
Ravi was registered as Prisoner No 12785 at the Parappana Agrahara central jail on Monday after following all the formalities, TV reports said.
Ravi was arrested on Friday by the Central Crime Branch for allegedly hiring two hitmen to kill his colleague at Hi Bangalore, Sunil Heggaravalli.
Police had arrested Ravi after one Tahir Hussain alias Anoop Gowda was nabbed for allegedly trying to sell an illegal country-made pistol. During interrogation, Hussain had said that he was selling it to sharpshooter Shashidhar Ramachadra Mundewadi. Following this Shashidhar was arrested and he reportedly confessed that he and one Viju Badiger were hired by Ravi to kill Sunil.
Meanwhile, Sunil filed a fresh complaint at the Subramanyapura Police Station on Sunday, alleging that Belagere had called and threatened him while in police custody.
In his complaint, Sunil alleged that Belagere called him on Sunday morning from a phone belonging to a common friend named Madhu.
“When I answered the call, someone said: Wait a minute, Ravi anna will talk. Then Ravi Belagere spoke in an intimidating tone and asked me if I had told the media about having a relationship with Yashomathi (Belagere’s second wife). I told him that I did not, and that I did not have any relationship with her,” Sunil’s complaint reads.