BELAGAVI/BENGALURU: The prime suspect in the CD-gate, Naresh Gowda, released a video statement on Thursday claiming that he has no connection with the CD and is being targeted. However, he said he will appear before the SIT to give his statement after a week.
“I know the woman in the video and she has even visited my house a couple of times. Ramesh Jarkiholi is targeting me and influencing the SIT to frame me in the case. I can share all my account details with the SIT since I have not made any illegal transactions. I am still paying instalments of Rs 15,000 every month to repay my loan,” he said in the video.
Gowda added that the woman had sought his help as he works in a news channel.
“She told me her life was under threat and informed me about the CD. But I asked her to provide proper evidence to expose the incident and she had agreed too. However, she never turned up after that. When I came to know that my name had cropped up in the case, I decided to go away from the city as I knew someone was trying to frame me,” he added.
Meanwhile, RTI activist Bheemappa Gadad from Belagavi filed a complaint with Cubbon Park police in Bengaluru on Thursday demanding the police to immediately file a suo motu FIR against Jarkiholi. Speaking to TNIE, Gadad said, “I have appealed to the police to file an FIR against Jarkiholi within the next 24 hours or I will file Public Interest Litigation in the high court urging for an FIR in the case.”
He said it was unfortunate that the government constituted an SIT based on the letter written by Jarkiholi, who is actually an ‘accused’ in the CD case. “There are examples of police filing several cases suo motu against many farmers and protesters who launched agitations to get justice. Why can’t the police do the same in the CD issue?” he asked.Gadad feels the CD-gate could be brought to a logical end only when an FIR is filed against the accused by the SIT and all the people involved in it are brought to book.