Karnataka BJP MLA, arrested for issuing death threat, sent to police custody

Karnataka BJP MLA Munirathna was sent on a two-day police by a local court after he was arrested for allegedly threatening a contractor and using casteist slurs against him.
The Karnataka Police registered two cases against Munirathan, a BJP MLA from the state’s Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly seat, based on complaints by Chelvaraju, who accused the BJP leader of harassing and threatening him.
The police sought a week’s custody, but after hearing the case, the judge, Santosh Gajanana Bhat, granted only two days of custody.
Meanwhile, Munirathan’s advocate, Sadananda, said that the allegations were false and there was no evidence against his client.
“We will also be approaching the high court,” he told reporters. “We will file a counter complaint against the complainants and the truth will come out,” Sadananda was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.
The cases against the Rajarajeshwarinagar MLA were filed at a local police station in Bengaluru on Friday, following which he was arrested from Kolar.
The first case involved issuing a death threat and four individuals, including Munirathna, were named in the FIR. The second case charged Munirathna with casteist abuse against the contractor.
Chelvaraju had released an audio clip during a press conference, claiming that Munirathna harassed him for a bribe.
The Karnataka BJP unit issued a show cause notice to Munirathna to clear his stand within five days regarding the charges levelled against him, according to news agency ANI.
The Dalit Sangharsha Samiti (DSS) has objected to the use of casteist slurs against the contractor and has planned to protest outside Munirathna’s home in Bengaluru.
In view of the planned protests, police have tightened security outside and near Munirathna’s home, installed barricades and closed some roads as precautionary measures.