SHIVAMOGGA: Former Karnataka minister and BJP leader Hartal Halappa was acquitted of rape charges by a Shivamogga local court on Thursday.
The Shivamogga 2nd JMFC court gave a clean chit to Halappa in a 2010 sexual assault case. After nearly seven years of trial, the court cleared Halappa of all charges citing lack of evidence and inconsistency in the complainant's statements.
Halappa, a B.S. Yeddyurappa loyalist, was accused of allegedly sexually assaulting the wife of his financier-friend Venkatesh Murthy, when he stayed in their residence on November 29, 2009.
The scandal had caused huge uproar and Halappa, who was then a cabinet minister in the Yeddyurappa-led government. He resigned reportedly to save the BJP ministry from embarrassment.
Surprisingly, Murthy lodged the complaint against Halappa only in 2010, almost six months after the alleged incident.
He had submitted a video proof of the incident on a CD, but had refused to submit the memory card that
was originally used. The court also observed that the complainant had changed his statements at least nine times.
The inconsistencies in his statement were noted by the court.
Even after resigning Halappa had denied the charges and alleged that it was a conspiracy hatched by his political rivals.
Halappa, who seemed to have expected a favourable judgment, had come armed with his supporters to the court hall.
His supporters reportedly distributed sweets in the court hall as the verdict came out.
He thanked his supporters and claimed he was hopeful of getting justice.
Halappa was a three-time MLA from the Sorab constituency in Shivamogga district. Shivamogga is also the home district of BJP stalwarts Yeddyurappa and K.S. Eshwarappa.
With his acquittal, Halappa is expected to lobby for a BJP ticket to contest from Sorab. However, Kumar Bangarappa, who had deserted the Congress to join the BJP, is also an aspirant.
