Kalaburagi police arrest BJP leader for threatening to ‘shoot’ Priyanka Kharge

KALABURAGI: The Kalaburagi police have arrested BJP leader Manikant Rathod from Hyderabad on Sunday night on the charges of threatening to shoot Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) spokesperson and Chittapur MLA Priyanka Kharge recently.

Soon after the death threat by Manikant, a case was booked at the Brahmapur police under IPC Section 506 (criminal intimidation). After the FIR against him, Rathod had gone missing. The Kalaburagi police had formed a five-member team to nab him. The police arrested him from Hyderabad and brought him to Kalaburagi on Monday.

Congress workers had staged a massive protest in front of the Kalaburagi SP’s office after his threatening statement against Kharge and demanded Rathod’s immediate arrest. They also warned that if the government fails to arrest the accused, they would wave black flags and gherao Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, during his visit to Kalaburagi on Monday.

Manikant Rathod is a history-sheeter, who has been involved in a number of criminal cases.