Shimoga: The bail plea of former Karnataka minister Hartal Halappa, arrested on charges of rape, will come up in the High Court today. On Monday, his judicial custody was extended till May 24.
After his arrest on Sunday, Halappa was moved to a hospital after he complained of chest pain.
The charges against him include rape, intimidation, and unlawful restraint and confinement. Halappa has denied the charges, accusing his political rivals of trying to malign him.
He resigned last week as Food and Civil Supplies Minister in the BJP government in Karnataka after local media reported that a couple from Shimoga was ready to formally accuse him of rape. Halappa stayed at the couple's house in Shimoga in November.
After being arrested, he has not been produced in court. Those close to him say his health doesn't seem to permit it. But others, including the man whose wife was allegedly raped by Halappa, believe the former minister is being allowed special treatment by the government.
"This is a conspiracy. How can his health change after being given judicial custody? There is a conspiracy by the CID officers and the government to keep him away from the public and the media," says KP Sripal, whose representing the woman who was allegedly raped, and her husband, Venkatesh Murthy.
Halappa's lawyer, Ashok G Bhatta, will try to convince a local court to grant anticipatory bail to Halappa today. In what could alarm many, he had earlier said, "The charges are not serious."