CD row: Woman appeals to CJ to monitor case, seeks protection

BENGALURU: The woman involved in the CD row did not appear before the magistrate court on Monday, despite the latter allowing the petition filed by her advocate to record her statement before court. 
In a three-page letter of appeal to the Chief Justice of Karnataka, the woman explained her apprehensions and fears, and urged him to personally supervise the investigation and provide adequate protection to her and her family members.

Her lawyer KN Jagadish Kumar told TNIE, “The court listed it in the 24th ACMM court to record the statement of the victim under Section 164 of CrPC. The court asked us to produce the complainant and we will take her in shortly. The court directed the SIT investigation officer to be present before the judge while she records her statement, as he has to identify the victim.” 

The woman’s letter says: “I am the rape victim, having filed a complaint against former minister of the Government of Karnataka Ramesh Jarkiholi in FIR 30/2021, registered before Cubbon Park Police Station....”

“Jarkiholi is a highly influential person and has already threatened me in public, and is capable of going to any extent to clear my charges against him. I have already expressed my apprehensions about frequent threats being issued to me and my parents by Jarkiholi and his followers,” she says. “I have also expressed apprehensions that there is a threat to myself and my parents from Jarkiholi, who is a highly influential person... Today, I learnt that Jarkiholi used his influence through the SIT and issued serious threat to my parents and used criminal force to prevent me from appearing before the honourable magistrate in pursuing my complaint, and preventing me from making any statement against him.”

She pointed out that Jarkiholi may “kill me at any place at any point of time and destroy every piece of evidence regarding commission of offence by him…The SIT is completely acting to the tunes of Jarkiholi, and the Government of Karnataka is also protecting him”.Meanwhile, the SIT issued another notice to the woman on Monday, seeking that she cooperate in the investigation. Six notices have been issued to her so far.