Union Railway Minister DV Sadananda Gowda's son Karthik Gowda was granted anticipatory bail under certain conditions by the VIII City Civil and Sessions Court, Bangalore, on Monday. City police had booked him for alleged rape and cheating two weeks ago based on a complaint lodged by a model and Kannada actor. Judge GB Mudigowder on Monday granted bail to Karthik Gowda and directed him to produce a Rs 2 lakh security bond with two sureties. He was also asked to appear before the investigating officer whenever summoned and to visit the RT Nagar Police station twice a month. Gowda was warned that the bail may be cancelled if he didn't cooperate with the police investigation into the case or tampered with evidence or influenced witnesses. Counsel representing the victim said that they are going to challenge the court order before High Court on Wednesday. The relief came to Karthik Gowda three days after a magistrate court issued arrest warrant against him with the police declaring him an absconder and forming teams to trace him even as the sessions court heard his anticipatory bail plea. The judge had on Saturday last posted the case for Monday for his order. "We have lot of evidences, so we will challenge this order in the High Court on Wednesday. We have decided to go for cancellation of bail on Wednesday," counsel for the model-turned-actress Akarsh S Kanade told reporters here. Opposing the bail plea of Gowda's son, the actress' lawyer had told the court earlier that he should not be given relief as he is a very influential person who may destroy evidence. On September 5, the eighth Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court had issued arrest warrant against Karthik. The actress had claimed she and Karthik got married at Gowda's residence in Mangalore in June in the presence of the driver of Gowda's son. She has made several claims in the case giving different twists and turns with her purported telephonic conversation with Karthik being released to the media. (With PTI inputs)
