Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Legislative Council member, CT Ravi was taken in custody by Khanapur police. The senior leader sat on the road to protest against the Karnataka Police as he was brought to Ramdurg taluk in Belagavi district, early morning at 3 am on Friday. He was taken into custody after an FIR against him, that alleged statement against state women and Child welfare minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar on Thursday.
Hebbalkar alleged that the BJP MLC uttered an ‘obscene word’ against her after the duo had a verbal altercation over CT Ravi allegedly calling Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi a ‘drug addict’.
The Legislative Council members of Congress filed a complaint with Chairman Basavaraj Horatti after the comment. Advocate MB Jiragi representing CT Ravi said that he has been arrested under section 75 and 79 of the BNS. He also claimed that the BJP leader was taken to several places and was not produced in the court till now.
"He has been arrested physically. But so far we have not been confirmed on record that he has been arrested. But de facto, the Karnataka Police have already taken him into custody. They took him to various places last night...So far, they have not produced him before the court of law. It is mandated under the law that the person who has to be arrested has to be produced before the nearest magistrate within limited reasonable time. Unfortunately, it is not happening. So far we don't know that at what time they will produce him before court of law. Anyhow, the legal cell of Belgaum district has kept our application ready for filing a bail application before the competent court of law to get his release...They are not permitting lawyers to met CT Ravi. He has been secluded totally, we don't know where exactly he has been taken," the advocate said.
CT Ravi files counter complaint
In response to this, CT Ravi on Friday morning filed a counter complaint at Khanapura police station, Belagavi against Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Chamaraja Hattiholi, DK Shivakumar, Saddam, and others for allegedly trying to kill him by attacking him (CT Ravi) at Suvarna Soudha, Belagavi.
"Police brought me to Khanapura police station around 8 pm. They didn't tell me in which case they brought me. They're not registering my complaint, they're not even filing zero FIR. If something happens to me, Congress Govt must take responsibility. By registering a false case, they're conspiring to murder me. I have already filed a complaint,” the BJP leader said.
“It's been 3 hours since I was brought to the police station, and I haven't been told why I have been brought to the police station. If something happens to me, the police, DK Shivakumar, Lakshmi Hebbalkar and their team will be responsible. They're treating me like a criminal and it's creating doubt in me. I have worked as a minister and I'm a people representative. They're acting the way they acted at the time of emergency,” he added.
