BJP petitions Governor seeking security for Ravi and judicial probe into police handling of case

A BJP delegation submitting a memorandum to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: special arrangement

The BJP on Tuesday petitioned Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot seeking “protection” to its MLC C.T. Ravi as well as a judicial probe into the developments that unfolded involving the police after the MLC was accused of hurling obscene remarks at Women aand Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar in the Legislative Council.

‘Stations not safe’

Briefing presspersons after meeting the Governor, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok, who led the BJP delegation, claimed that the manner in which the MLC had been handled by the police, after being arrested, only showed that the government was of the view that the police stations were not safe.

Referring to the police maintaining that Mr. Ravi was taken to a sugarcane field instead of police stations after the arrest “in the interest of his security”, Mr. Ashok argued that such a stand clearly showed that the police and the government itself have come to a conclusion that the police stations are not safe places.

He alleged that the Congress government had “turned the police stations into party office.” Accusing the police of not conducting themselves in a responsible manner, he said there was no point in ordering a CID inquiry into the episode as the police themselves would be involved in the probe again. Hence, a judicial probe was the only appropriate option now to bring out the truth, and the BJP would accept whatever the report to be submitted by the judicial commission if judicial probe is ordered, he said.

The Governor had been briefed about the alleged “inhuman” manner in which the police had treated Mr. Ravi after the arrest, he said.

“This episode has raised a question on what would be the fate of common people if this is the manner in which an MLC is being treated by the police. Hence the governor has been requested to ensure rule of law by by taking measures as per the Constitution,” Mr. Ashok said.

Phone calls

Alleging that the Belagavi Police Commissioner was constantly getting telephone calls, he said only an impartial inquiry could bring out the truth such as whether the Chief Minister or the Deputy Chief Minister were calling him, he said.