SIT likely to give Ramesh Jarkiholi clean chit in sex tape case

BENGALURU: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the sleaze tape case involving former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, is most likely to give a clean chit to him. Sources said the SIT will soon submit a ‘B’ report, which means there is no evidence against him, to the court, putting an end to the case.

Jarkiholi, who was Minister for Water Resources, was made to step down on March 4, after the sleaze tape was released to the media. The issue had created a political storm in the State and an SIT was formed to probe the case.

Police sources said the investigation is over in the case, filed by the woman at the Cubbon Park police station on March 26, accusing Jarkiholi of ‘using’ her on the pretext of allowing her to shoot a documentary related to his department. The police had registered an FIR against Jarkiholi under Sections 376C (sexual intercourse by a person in authority), 354A (sexual harassment), 504 (provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), 417 (punishment for cheating) of the IPC, and 67A (transmitting material containing a sexually explicit act, etc., in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act.

“No evidence is found against the accused (Jarkiholi) in the case. Investigations revealed that it was the woman who contacted him, made several phone calls and spoke to him provocatively. A detailed analysis of the raw footage has shown that there was no force or harassment as alleged by the woman and it’s a consensual act,” an officer said.

Besides the sleaze tape, phone call records between Jarkiholi and the woman, and other technical aspects, the SIT also recorded statements of several persons connected to the case. The woman was subjected to several rounds of questioning, while Jarkiholi, who had claimed it’s a doctored video and was evasive initially, had recently appeared for enquiry, admitting that he is the man seen in the tape and it was a consensual act.

“Based on the findings of the probe, it is clear that Jarkiholi was honey trapped by the woman and her accomplices. A closure report (B report) will be submitted to the court soon,” the officer added. While dropping the charges against Jarkiholi, the SIT will intensify the probe into his complaint filed at the Sadashivanagar police station that the entire episode was a conspiracy against him.