Shimoga: Former Karnataka food and civil supplies minister Hartalu Halappa was arrested by the state CID on Sunday night on charges of rape. Halappa was arrested in Shimoga after he had been in hiding for four days following a rape case filed against him by his friend's wife
The former minister has been charged with raping his friend and financier Venkatesh Murthy's wife Chandravathi at her house in Shimoga, which was also his constituency. The alleged case of rape had taken place about five months ago.
Halappa was arrested after he appeared and surrendered before DIG (CID) KSR Charan Reddy in Shimoga on Sunday. The Karnataka CID arrested the former minister after interrogating him.
His bail plea will come up for hearing on May 11 in a Shimoga court.
Halappa had resigned as minister of food and civil supplies after reports on the alleged incident. He has, however, dismissed the charge as baseless and said it was a political ploy by his adversaries.
"Yes. 100 per cent political conspiracy," Halappa had replied on May 2 when asked if the rape charge against him was a political conspiracy. "I don't know this woman at all, I'll talk to the Chief Minister, but this is nothing but a political conspiracy to defame me and the government."
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, too, is backed Halappa claiming it was a conspiracy by the Opposition Congress to malign the party.
The Congress had called for Halappa's arrest and Chief Minister BY Yeddyurappa's resignation for allegedly shielding Halappa.
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