BJP MLA Munirathna Remanded to 14-Day Judicial Custody in Rape and Harassment Case

A special court for people’s representatives has remanded Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Munirathna to 14 days of judicial custody following his arrest by Bengaluru police on charges of alleged rape and harassment. The arrest took place on Saturday.

The First Information Report (FIR) includes charges under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 354A, 354C, 376, 506, 504, 120(b), 149, 384, 406, and 308. In addition to Munirathna, six other individuals—Vijay Kumar, Sudhakara, Kiran Kumar, Lohit Gowda, Manjunath, and Loki—have also been charged.

According to the complaint, the incident occurred at a private resort within the jurisdiction of the Kaggalipura police station. Munirathna was presented before Justice KM Shivakumar of the special court.

The BJP MLA has also been the subject of prior complaints, including allegations of threatening a contractor for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), demanding bribes, and using caste-based slurs. He was initially taken into custody on the night of September 14 by Bengaluru police in connection with these allegations.

Kolar Superintendent of Police (SP) B Nikhil reported that Munirathna was apprehended with the assistance of Kolar police while traveling to Andhra Pradesh. The case was initiated after a BBMP contractor, Chelvaraju, accused Munirathna of harassment and threats. The FIR named four individuals, including Munirathna, VG Kumar, Abhishek, and Vasanth Kumar, and listed charges under IPC sections 37, 506, 505, 385, 420, and 323.

Chelvaraju claimed that the MLA had threatened him, saying, “What happened to Renukaswamy will happen to you,” in an attempt to extort money related to a contract. The contractor alleged he offered ₹1 lakh, but Munirathna demanded the full amount, ultimately insisting on a payment of ₹20 lakhs. The contractor also accused Munirathna’s nephew of being involved in the murder of Renukaswamy.