MYSURU: At a time when huge pressure was mounted on the government and the police department from all corners demanding immediate arrest of K S Manjunath alias ‘Santro’ Ravi accused in rape, dowry and atrocity case who was absconding for 11 days, the team of police have finally secured the ‘White’ collar criminal from Ahmedabad in Gujarat on Friday.
Confirming the development, ADGP (law and order) Alok Kumar speaking to reporters here said that ‘Santro’ Ravi was arrested on Friday afternoon in Ahmedabad in Gujarat and will be brought back to Mysuru once a transit warrant is obtained to bring him back here.
‘Santro’ Ravi has been in the headlines for the last ten days following a complaint lodged by his wife with help of a Mysuru-based NGO Odanadi alleging him of raping her, sexual assault, dowry and cases under SC/ST prevention of atrocity act. The woman in her complaint had alleged that she went to him seeking a job but was drugged, videographed and raped her and later forced her to get him married. When she threatened her, he even filed a false case against her and sent her to jail.
The woman who got released from jail with help of a city-based NGO Odanadi approached the police and got a case registered following which, photos of him hobnobbing with top political leaders, especially BJP ministers, MLAs and bureaucrats went viral on social media besides alleged audio clips of him involved in ‘Police transfer’ racket revealing that he had been a ‘power’ broker.
Ravi is not new and has links to over 20 cases of prostitution, immoral trafficking and other cases including money laundering starting since 1995 and in the year 2005, he was also booked under the Goonda act.
Even as the photographs and audio clips of Santro Ravi hobnobbing with politicians and ministers of BJP went viral, opposition parties including JD(S) blamed BJP for misusing its power to protect him in the run for the election.
However, seven separate teams were constituted under the guidance of Ramesh B, Mysuru city police commissioner and superintendent of police of three districts and DCPs of Mysuru who with help of 19 police personnel including two ACPs, 11 police inspectors and other staff were formed to trace the whereabouts of Santro Ravi who went missing soon after a complaint was lodged against him.
How ‘Santro’ Ravi bypassed the hawk eyes of police
While much pressure was on the government and police to make arrest immediately, Ravi who was a habitual offender was well versed in bypassing the haw eyes of the police.
“He had served 11 months in jail and was booked under the goonda act in 2005. He was a white caller criminal and he used to change sim cards, mobile, and vehicles and travelled from place to place to avoid police finding his whereabouts, but still, our team managed to find him and secured him,” said Alok Kumar, who congratulated the officers and announced a special reward to the police team.
According to a source in the special team, Santro Ravi first took shelter in a farmhouse in Mandya but knowing that SP’s of other districts were involved in the case, he flee to Kerala from there to Pune and crossed Maharashtra to reach Gujarat on Friday, where the police team secured.
From ‘Santro’ Ravi to ‘Bald’ Ravi to save his arrest
51-year-old Santro Ravi, who was bald never forgot to wear a wig to cover up his bald head and sported a glass with a sharp moustache. However, as police had intensified the search operation across the borders, to surpass the vigilance, he clean-shaved his moustache and removed his wig to ensure that he is not caught. However, the police who even used the network dumping technique and with a lead they got after detaining one of his aide near Mantralaya with the help of Raichur SP found that he was travelling to Gujarat and managed to nab him.
Alok Kumar said that Suthesh, 35 yrs, a native of Mysuru, Ram Ji (45), a native of Kochi were also been taken to custody along with Santro Ravi for harbouring him and a thorough investigation will be conducted once they are brought to the city for investigation and produced before the court.
Meanwhile, the police as of now have booked cases under IPC sections 506, 498 (a), 504, 376, 270, 313, 323, DP Act 3(1) ®, 3(1) (w) (1), 3(2), 5(a), SC/ST (prevention of atrocity act).