3 min readBengaluruMar 16, 2021 08:13 AM IST
First published on: Mar 15, 2021 at 03:55 PM IST
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sex CD scandal involving former Karnataka minister Ramesh Jarkiholi has intensified its search for the woman in the video and two suspects in the case. The SIT has issued a notice to the woman and assured her of protection from the police.
On Saturday, the woman had allegedly put out a video statement (Indianexpress.com could not independently verify the video) seeking protection from the government. In the video, she also claimed that she had attempted to kill herself.
Addressing Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, the woman said: “I don’t know how and what they did with the video. I have already been stripped of my dignity everywhere. People from my area are coming home every day and questioning me and my parents. My parents tried to kill themselves twice. I, too, tried to kill myself three to four times.”
“No one is helping us and we don’t have any political support. Ramesh Jarkiholi promised me a job and did everything and released the video. I don’t have any protection. All that I am asking for is my security,” she added.
A team of officials visited the woman’s hometown in North Karnataka region and questioned her neighbours, friends and relatives.
R Pramila Naidu, chairperson of the State Women’s Commission, told indianexpress.com: “I have already directed and spoken to both city and state police chiefs for protection since then she has told in the video about the alleged threat to her life.”
“We are ready to provide the women all help if she approaches us, even police assured of protection,” Naidu added.
The statement from the unidentified woman came hours after former Karnataka minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, 60, lodged a complaint in Bengaluru police station on Saturday, accusing unidentified persons of extortion, forgery and criminal conspiracy. An associate of Jarkiholi, M V Nagaraj, lodged the complaint at Sadashivanagar police station in Bengaluru after the former minister sent a written complaint to the police.
In his complaint, Jarkiholi claimed that the CD was fake and that an effort was made to blackmail him using the CD. “It is a conspiracy. It is a bogus CD that has been used to blackmail. This affects not just me but all those who could be blackmailed similarly. We have started the legal battle,” Jarkiholi said after the police complaint was filed on Saturday.
Jarkiholi’s complaint comes three days after the state government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate allegations by him about an alleged conspiracy to defame him and bring him into disrepute.
Meanwhile, SIT has also intensified the search for two other suspects—a journalist from Tumakuru and his associate from Devanahalli, who are allegedly on the run. The police have searched their houses and are analysing their bank account details.
So far SIT officials have questioned four suspects who were allegedly involved in handing over the CD to the complainant, activist Dinesh Kallahalli.
Ramesh Jarkiholi. (Twitter: @RameshJarkiholi) 
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