BENGALURU: In a major development in the sleaze CD row case that involves former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, the woman in the clips on Tuesday appeared before the 24th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court and gave her statement before the magistrate under Section 164 of Criminal Procedures Code (CrPC), which pertains to recording of confessions and statements. She was taken to a special hall set up due to the Covid situation at Guru Nanak Bhavan in Vasanthnagar and her statement was recorded in-camera for about one-and-a-half hours.
Medical test on woman after investigation
Soon after court proceedings, the special investigation team (SIT) appealed to the court for voice samples and to question her in connection with the case under Section 161 of CrPC (examination of witnesses). High Security, provided to her around the court, was supervised by senior police officers.
The woman’s lawyer, KN Jagadish Kumar, said, “SIT has not taken her into custody and she only recorded her statement. There is no question of taking her into police custody, while Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has been charged with rape, is out free. I demand that the SIT arrest Jarkiholi as she has recorded her statement before the court and the government has to prove that SIT is probing the case without any prejudice.”
A senior police officer said the woman was questioned by the investigating officer at the SIT’s Technical Cell in Adugodi. The woman told the officers that no one had kidnapped her and that she was at a place in isolation “as I have a life threat from Jarakiholi, who is an influential person. Even my family is being controlled by Jarkiholi.”
She will be taken for medical tests once the investigation is over. SIT officials in their submission to the court said there were three cases related to the woman, filed at Cubbon Park, Sadashivnagar and RT Nagar police stations, which need to get her statements as part of the investigation. Senior police officials, including SIT chief Soumendu Mukharjee and Joint Commissioner of Police Sandeep Patil, oversaw the security at the court premises, where over 200 police personnel were deployed.