Even as the alleged sexual harassment of a councillor has taken a political turn, the police have arrested two minors allegedly involved in the case. The police are on the look out for three more persons allegedly involved in harassing the councillor.
The Congress councillor, 35, alleged that around 30 young supporters of the BJP blocked her way while she was campaigning in Kodigere on March 30. She said the group verbally abused her and threatened her for campaigning in the area. When she continued her campaign, one 17-year-old boy reportedly tried to pull her saree and another minor reportedly tried to grope her.
Police Commissioner R. Hithendra said the two minors were also involved in case of murder and an attempt to murder case. They have been produced before the Juvenile Justice Board.
ADVERTISEMENT
On the increase in the number of crimes in which gang operating in Kodigere were using minors, Mr. Hithendra said, “This has come to our notice, we will be arresting the conspirators, too,” he said. District in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai told reporters on Thursday that the sexual harassment of the councillor was an instance of frustration among the BJP about growing popularity of the Congress.
While confirming that the accused in the alleged sexual harassment of the councillor were members of the BJP, the former Minister Krishna J. Palemar dismissed the incident as “having been blown up for political reasons”.
“I have seen the footage. These are false cases against the BJP youths to ensure they do not take part in the campaigning,” he told reporters here on Thursday. He further claimed that the youth belonging to the BJP were being “fixed” in police cases on the behest of MLA B.A. Mohiuddin Bava to hamper the party’s campaigning.
ADVERTISEMENT
Some female residents of Kodigere claimed that there was no attempt to outrage the modesty of the councillor and said the issue was being blown out of blown out of proportion. The residents have given their version of incident to the police.