BENGALURU: A 34-year-old woman filed a complaint with Sanjaynagar police in the city on Tuesday accusing Dharwad Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni of raping and harrassing her.
Based on her complaint, police filed an FIR naming Vinay Kulkarni as Accused 1 (A1) and his close aide Arjun as Accused 2 (A2).
According to the complaint, the woman met the MLA in 2022. The MLA got her phone number from a farmer and began calling her, sometimes even at night. After some months, he allegedly made a video call while being naked and forced her to go to his house in Hebbal. When she refused, a gang of rowdies threatened her with dire consequences if she did not go to the MLA’s house, she alleged.
In April, the MLA called her to Belagavi, where he hugged her and allegedly tried to sexually abuse her. But he let her go when some people came to meet him.
On August 24, when she went to meet the then CM Basavaraj Bommai, the MLA forced her to go to his house. She took an autorickshaw to his house.
MLA accused woman of leaking audio
Later, the Congress MLA took her to a house on IVC Road near Devanahalli airport, where he allegedly raped her.
They again met in Haveri in September 2022, where he took her phone and gave it to one of his party members during a function to take photos and videos.
After she received her phone, she learnt that a conversation between her and the MLA had gone viral. The MLA suspected that she had leaked it.
She called Arjun and told him that she did not leak the audio. However, Arjun took her to an isolated place where the MLA assaulted her, accusing her of leaking the audio.
On October 2, they took her to a place near Dharmasthala, where the MLA allegedly raped her. They visited the temple there the next day.
While at Dharmasthala, the MLA threatened her not to disclose their relationship as he was involved in a murder case.
He then instructed Arjun to take her back to Bengaluru, according to the complaint.
The police have registered a case under Sections 506, 504, 201, 366, 376, 323, 354 of Indian Penal Code and the IT Act. Further investigations are on.