Karnataka High Court Grants Interim Relief To BJP MLC N Ravikumar Accused Of Making 'Vulgar Comments' Against Chief Secretary

The Karnataka High Court in an interim order on Friday (July 4) directed the police "not to take any precipitative action" till July 8 against BJP Member of Legislative Council (MLC) N Ravikumar who has been booked for making allegedly derogatory and vulgar comments against State's Chief Secretary and IAS officer Shalini Rajneesh.

The court was hearing Ravikumar's plea seeking quashing of the FIR registered against him.

Justice S R Krishna Kumar in its interim order said “Notice issued to respondent, returnable on Tuesday. Till then no precipitative action be taken against the petitioner. Petitioner to cooperate with the investigation.”

After the hearing concluded in the matter the court orally remarked, “Politicians are going to a new low.”

During the hearing Senior Advocate Arun Shyam appearing for the petition argued that the FIR was registered based on a complaint filed by a woman, before which a complaint was lodged by a political party. Further, all the complainant says that she saw a TV news report in which the alleged statement was made. He prayed for an interim relief by way of staying the investigation.

Special Public Prosecutor B A Belliappa opposed the petition submitting that “All the lady IAS officers are up in arms, he is in the habit of making such statements. Law has been set into motion and there is a TV report. Her (complainant) statement will be recorded and even the victim's statement will be recorded.”

Emphasising that the petitioner uttered the alleged derogatory words under the Statute of (Mahatma) Gandhi, the SPP argued that “If the lordship stays the investigation the court is staying the hands of the victim.”

Further he pointed to the court that the petitioner has moved a petition seeking anticipatory bail and simultaneously he cannot seek relief here (before high court).

“Morale of police will go down if this (stay) is allowed like this,” Belliappa argued. It was also brought to the notice of the court that the petitioner had earlier made an objectionable statement against the Kalaburagi District Collector, Fauzia Tarannum.

After hearing the parties the court issued the interim order.