BANGALORE: The BJP leadership is of the view that the alleged involvement of Haratal Halappa in an unsavory and murky episode is a simple case of blackmail.
A top BJP leader told The New Indian Express, on the condition of anonymity, that if Halappa had attempted to rape or sexually assault — as reported in a section of the media — a woman, then it is a criminal offence. In that case, there ought to have been a complaint.
Since there is no complaint, then it is not a criminal offence, he said.
“If the woman was having an illicit affair with Halappa, without the knowledge of her husband, then it is a case of adultery. As far as my knowledge goes, it is not a case of adultery also,” said another BJP leader. “Then it has to be the case of blackmail which usually happens if a deal fails.” Political grapevine in Shimoga maintained that Halappa was close to the woman whom he is alleged to have sexually assaulted.
It is said that both the families are distantly related and Halappa’s proximity to the woman was known to members of both the families, including the husband of the woman and Halappa’s wife.
BJP leadership maintained Halappa ought to have been more discreet in carrying out his “extra-curricular activities”, especially when he was facing stiff opposition for continuing in the ministry by their own partymen in Shimoga district.
“He (Halappa) is unintelligent and took things for granted, without realising that such incidents could be used by his opponents to blackmail him and eventually ensure his exit,” said a top BJP leader.
On its part, the BJP is embarrassed but unfazed by the episode.
The ruling party has decided to go on an offensive to blunt the assault of the Opposition parties, the Congress and the Janata Dal (S).
What has made the BJP to be unapologetic is the instant resignation of Halappa. “But we are embarrassed because of the moral turpitude of one of our minister, which is most un-BJP like,” said a top BJP leader. “This has definitely saddened our cadre.” Former Union minister V.
Dhananjaya Kumar said the episode has a moral angle and was not a legal or criminal issue as there has been no formal or informal or even oral complaint from the alleged victim.
(The complaint was filed late on Sunday evening.) “The Congress is politically bankrupt and hence has taken up Halappa issue,” he said.
BJP spokesperson Ayanur Manjunath was more candid.
“I am not trying to defend Halappa, if he is involved, but only mentioning the past episodes,” he said.
“Let the Congress leaders recall the alleged episode of R D Kittur, the then minister in D.Devaraj Urs ministry, with Sumitra Desai and the alleged involvement of C M Ibrahim, the then minister in late R Gundu Rao’s Cabinet, with a certain Padmakka.” According to him, a former Congress Rajya Sabha MP, belonging to a religious minority community, who was a powerful leader during the regime of R.Gundu Rao was also accused of having an affair with a leading cine actress. They were caught in a compromising position in a car on Bannerghatta Road.
“Halappa is neither the beginning nor the end. But I do not defend such things,” Manjunath said.
Excerpts from the complaint
ON 26th November, 2009, at about 8.00 P.M., Harthal Halappa called my husband on one of his mobile phone bearing No. 94494 97594 from his mobile phone bearing No. 9448496009 and informed him that he would be coming to our house for dinner… Around 10.15 pm, Halappa came to our house in a car. Halappa alighted from the car in front of our house and the car left the place… Halappa and my husband had dinner together and were chatting till about 11.30 pm. At that time, Halappa informed my husband that it was too late for him to return to the Inspection Bungalow where he has kept his belongings and expressed his desire to stay back in our house for the night… My husband gave a white dhothi to Halappa and took him up to the guest room… Myself and my husband retired to our bed room and slept. At around 3.30 am, Halappa, as told to me by my husband, has called my husband with his name from the first and my husband went to the first floor to attend on him. Halappa appears to have pretended to have been in serious health condition and informed my husband that he is a patient of Diabetics and Hypertension and that he has left behind the tablets in the Inspection Bungalow and requested my husband to go and secure the same. It appears Halappa has even pretended to be very serious and on the verge of collapse… I was completely unaware of all these developments as I was fast asleep. Halappa, after dispatching my husband to secure medicine/tablets, quietly sneaked into my bedroom and came on to the bed which was covered with the mosquito net… I was sleeping with my bottom covered with a pettycoat.
Halappa who climbed on to the bed initiated sex with me. As I was sleepy, suddenly sensed that the person who is initiating sex is not my husband and immediately tried to withdraw myself from his clutches. Halappa then forcefully gagged my mouth and strongly over-powered me and committed an act of rape on me. I got a shock and was in complete confusion since I was unaware of my husband having gone out of the house.
Halappa after raping me, released me and I immediately started to scream and tried to push Halappa out of the bed. He was still trying to resist the same. I then heard someone walking in from outside… My husband who had gone to the Inspection Bungalow to fetch medicine/tablets, as told to me has called out for people in the Inspection Bungalow for about 5 to 6 minutes and having not heard any response from anybody at the Inspection Bungalow, he immediately rushed back to the house being worried about the health of Halappa… My husband who walked into the house and who heard my screams, rushed to my bedroom and switched on the light. He too was shocked at the sight of Halappa on my bed. I immediately informed my husband of the obnoxious acts committed by Halappa. My husband became furious and got gravely provoked and started beating up Halappa… Halappa who remained calm put on his underwear and trouser and said sorry.
I made a mistake, you kill me. My husband once again got enraged and beat up Halappa and I too joined my husband and we together thrashed him… Halappa then pretended that he was seriously injured and fell down to the ground and put up an act of being unconscious. My husband and I then got scared that Halappa might have died. My husband himself brought water and opened Halappa’s mouth and poured water and tried to nurse him… Four days after the incident, i.e., on 31-11-2009, Halappa called my husband from his phone bearing No. 9448436009 at about 7.50 in the morning and told him to “forget what has happened and that he will compensate for the same”…Thereafter, Halappa started making continuous phone calls holding out serious threats to our lives if we were reveal about the incident to anybody… My husband and I have now decided to die only one day instead of every day and therefore, have decided to lodge the complaint and face the consequences boldly.
(The language has not been edited for grammar and syntax)