After 28 days of suspense, the woman in the sex CD case, allegedly involving BJP leader and former Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, appeared before the metropolitan magistrate and recorded her statement on Tuesday.
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She was later escorted to the technical cell of the city police at Adugodi by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) where her statement was recorded.
The woman reportedly reiterated her statement given earlier in a series of videos and a handwritten complaint she filed with the Cubbon Park police through her lawyer, accusing Mr. Jharkiholi of cheating and sexual assault. She also deposed that she had not been kidnapped as alleged by her parents.
The SIT officials are also learnt to have taken her voice sample.
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The official posed over 50 questions and recorded her statement in camera as per section 161 of the Cr.PC. The SIT officials questioned her in detail about the incident and her conversation with the family where she allegedly claimed that the video is morphed and fabricated. The SIT officials also sought to know from whom she had a threat perception.
“She replied to all the questions confidently and also submitted a set of evidence in the form of pictures, videos, and gifts to corroborate her claim,” said official sources.
The SIT officials assured her protection and the woman also requested the SIT to help her family who are allegedly “under the control of the accused [Mr. Jharkiholi]”.
The SIT is likely to continue the investigation after subjecting the woman to medical examination and taking her to the spot where the alleged crime took place for mahazar (inspection).
After recording her statement, the woman was escorted to the location of her choice where she is going to remain amid tight security.
Day of high drama
It was a day of high drama at the magistrate court on Tuesday where the woman was said to appear before a magistrate. While the police deployed personnel in large numbers there, the venue was changed to the special court at Gurunanak Bhavan at Vasanthnagar where the statement was recorded before the magistrate.
Advocate Jagadish Kumar said that now that the victim had recorded her statement, the accused should be arrested immediately. “This is a high-profile case and the accused is very influential and may disturb the ongoing investigation. Hence the SIT should take immediate action and arrest the accused,” he said.
The police have registered an FIR against Mr. Jarkiholi after the woman submitted a complaint through her lawyer accusing him of sexual assault. He has been charged under Sections 376c (sexual intercourse by a person in authority), 354a (sexual harassment), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 417 (cheating) of the IPC and under Section 67a of the IT Act (publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act).
Prior to this, based on the complaint of Mr. Jarkiholi, the SIT had begun an investigation into the alleged “conspiracy” to defame him and blackmail him using the CD, which he claimed was fake.