Karnataka

Ramesh Jarkiholi finally booked in sex-for-jobs scam by Bengaluru cops

The FIR was registered on Friday after a written complaint by the woman was filed through her lawyer.

Written by : Soumya Chatterjee

Former Karnataka BJP minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, who resigned recently on account of the sex-for-jobs case, was finally booked by Bengaluru police on Friday. This after the woman seen in the sex tape submitted a written complaint to City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant through her advocate earlier in the day. 

The Cubbon Park police has booked the former minister under sections 354A (Sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 417 (Punishment for cheating), 506 (criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult), 376 C (Sexual intercourse by person in authority) of the Indian Penal Code. He has also been booked under 67A  (Punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit acts) of the Information Technology Act.

In her detailed complaint on Friday, the woman had stated that former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi promised her a government job and on that pretext had multiple sexual interactions with her. She also alleged that it was the former minister himself who leaked the video to the media in a bid to silence her. 

The complaint mentions that she had come in search of a job to Bengaluru hoping to act in a short film and went to meet the then minister Ramesh Jarkiholi. Following this, he had taken down her number and called her to enquire about her and her family. 

She stated that he started calling her regularly and told her that he will use his influence to get her a government job if she “cooperates with him on all matters”. She said she believed him on the job promise and continued to cooperate and “give happiness to him”. 

She said for the first time, Jarkiholi asked her to engage in sexual acts in Delhi’s Kannada Bhavana and she did so as he was an influential person. Following this, Jarkiholi even called her home on the pretext of talking about the job and had intercourse with her on two separate occasions, she alleged.

She also said Jarkiholi abused her verbally when she asked about the job promise. As stated in her previous pleas on videos, she sought protection for her and her family.

It was earlier reported how a complaint detailing the sex for favours charge was also filed by an activist but till now, the police in the state have failed to register an FIR against the political strongman. Instead a SIT (special investigation team) led by a senior IPS officer is probing the origins of the video leak as requested by Jarkiholi himself.

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