Senior journalist Ravi Belagere, who had the police waiting to arrest him, went missing from SDM Medical College Hospital, Dharwad, on Monday morning.
Mr. Belagere was given a one-year jail sentence by the Karnataka Legislative Assembly for breach of privilege. The Bengaluru city police claimed his whereabouts were “unknown” and efforts were being made to trace him.
This comes even as his counsel, Shankarappa, said they would file a writ petition before the High Court challenging the ruling of the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday. “The decision by the Speaker violates principles of natural justice and is unconstitutional. While we challenge the decision, we will seek a stay order,” he said.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Praveen Sood confirmed that Mr. Belagere was not yet arrested. “The city police team that went to Dharwad to arrest him on Saturday returned the same day after the doctors said he required treatment for some more days,” he said. Malini Krishnamurthy, Additional Commissioner of Police (Bengaluru West), said they had information that Mr. Belagere had walked out of the hospital “against medical advice” and was at large.
However, Mr. Shankarappa said his client was discharged from SDM Hospital in Dharwad as they were moving him for treatment to a different hospital with better facilities, since he was suffering from multiple complications. But he declined to share further information.
Journalist Anil Raj, editor of Yelahanka News , who was also sentenced to one-year imprisonment, is absconding too.
Efforts are on to trace him, the police said.
Opposition to sentencing
Opposition to the Legislative Assembly’s decision seems to be gathering mass even among legislators.
The Congress sought to distance itself from the ruling of the Privileges Committee and the Assembly. Dinesh Gundu Rao, working president, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, on Monday sought a review of the decision. He tweeted: “It’s wrong on the part of Privileges committee to sentence journos... goes against all ethics. K’taka assembly must review this decision.”
