Karnataka Sex Scandal: FIR Against Ramesh Jarkiholi Registered Under Several Charges

FIR Against Ramesh Jarkiholi: A FIR against Ramesh Jarkiholi, a former minister, was registered under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the IT Act.

The FIR against Ramesh Jarkiholi was registered under the IPC sections 376C (Sexual intercourse by person in authority), 354A (sexual harassment), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 417 (cheating). The FIR against Jarkiholi has also been registered under the 67A IT Act (publishing material of sexually explicit act).

The woman allegedly featured in the sex tape filed a written complaint against Jarkiholi via her advocate Jagadesh Kumar. The woman submitted the two-page letter at the Bengaluru Police Commissioners office and alleged that she feared for her safety. She also released photos of the complaint letter to the public. The FIR against Ramesh Jarkiholi was filed on March 26, 2021.

The woman said in her letter that “This complaint is raised against former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi who enticed me to speak in vulgar language and expose myself on video, on the pretext of securing a government job, and later had sexual relations with me.”

In a video, the complainant said that she had decided to file a complaint and sought security for her relatives from ex Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President DK Shivakumar, and others.

On March 13, the Bengaluru police had registered a case of conspiracy and blackmailing against unknown people based on Jarkiholi’s complaint. The woman was subsequently charged with conspiracy and blackmail. In his complaint, Jarkiholi called the videotape fake and claimed it was a tool to blackmail him. Jarkiholi later resigned and stated that the allegation were “far from the truth”. He added that “Though I have faith of being proven innocent, I am submitting my resignation on moral grounds.”

In February, a complaint against Jarkiholi was filed through Dinesh Kalahalli against Jarkiholi, but was withdrawn within a few days. The Karnataka government constituted a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to probe in the matter.

In response to the later complaint filed by the woman, the Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the SIT would look into the case and promised the woman and her family police protection.