K’taka rape case: Missing ex-minister surfaces, arrested

SHIMOGA: Former minister Haratal Halappa surfaced on Sunday after he went ‘missing’ for a week. Accused of raping his friend’s wife, he appeared before the Shimoga police in the afternoon. According to sources, Halappa was in Ahmedabad. After four-hours of grilling, he was produced in court and remanded in judicial custody.Halappa resigned from the B S Yeddyurappa cabinet on May 2 following allegations that he raped his friend Venkatesh Murthy’s wife Chandravathi five months ago in Shimoga. Buckling under opposition pressure, the chief minister ordered a CID probe on May 3. The investigating agency issued notice to Halappa three days ago, directing him to report to it by May 10. Halappa, who appeared before DIG (CID) Charan Reddy, wasinterrogated for nearly four hours. Police said they recorded all informationabout the case, but refused to divulge details. Halappa was taken to thedistrict hospital for a check-up.After Halappa’s allegedinvolvement in the case came to light last week, Yeddyurappa and state BJPpresident K S Eshwarappa asked him to resign, but continued to support himpublicly. Halappa’s food, civil supplies and consumer affairs portfoliowas given to transport minister R Ashoka.Chandravathi and VenkateshMurthy came to Bangalore that night after lodging a police complaint in Shimoga.They gave a representation to state director general of police Ajai Kumar Singhand governor H R Bhardwaj.