The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the investigating officers to include rape in the chargesheet of the cheating case filed against Karthink Gowda, son of Union Minister V Sadananda Gowda. The complainant is a popular Sandalwood actor.
The Supreme Court in its order said that if evidence of rape is found during the investigation, then Section 376 (punishment for rape) would be applicable.
The court also directed a Bengaluru court to decide the matter between the actor and Karthik Gowda.
The apex court was hearing Karthik Gowda’s appeal to quash the case of rape and cheating registered against him in Bengaluru in August 2014.
On August 27, 2014, a popular Sandalwood actor had filed a complaint with the RT Nagar Police alleging that Karthik Gowda had raped her. The complaint was filed soon after the announcement that Karthik Gowda was engaged to be married to another woman.
The actor had also said that she got married to Karthik Gowda in a private ceremony and had also filed a case of cheating.
A Special Investigating Team was formed in August 2014 to probe the matter. The police had found a recorded call allegedly between the actor and Karthik Gowda, which was reportedly the crucial evidence in the case.
Soon after, Union Minister Sadananada Gowda claimed that his son was being framed.
The police had filed its final report on October 2, 2015, which stated that no evidence of rape was found during the probe.
Karthik Gowda then filed a petition with the High Court to quash the case against him. The High Court had held that the charges would stand until proven in trial and had dismissed the petition in 2015.