Karnataka High Court dismisses BJP MLA Munirathna’s plea in caste atrocity case

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Friday dismissed a petition filed by BJP MLA Munirathna seeking to quash an FIR registered against him in a caste atrocity case.

Munirathna, a former minister and Rajarajeshwari Nagar MLA, had moved the court to cancel the case related to caste abuse, which was registered at Vyalikaval police station, Bengaluru. He was arrested earlier in connection with the case.

In December last year, Munirathna was booked in another case for allegedly planning to murder a former JD(S) Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) contractor and her husband, among other offences, including voyeurism and outraging the modesty of a woman.

Bengaluru police filed the first information report (FIR) on November 30 against Munirathna, Sunandamma, Venkatesh, Laxmamma, Jayamma, Latha, and others. They took him into custody on September 14 this year for allegedly threatening a BBMP contractor.

According to Kolar Superintendent of Police (SP) B Nikhil, the MLA was taken into custody by Bengaluru police with the help of Kolar Police while he was travelling to Andhra Pradesh.

The case was registered against Munirathna and six others, including Vijay Kumar, Sudhakara, Kiran Kumar, Lohit Gowda, Manjunath and Loki, under IPC Sections 354A (sexual harassment), 354C (voyeurism), 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 120(b) (Concealing design to commit offence), 149 (Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 384 (extortion), 406 (criminal breach of trust), and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide). (ANI)