In what could be a major embarrassment to the Narendra Modi cabinet, it has come to light that the Bangalore police had slapped a notice on Union minister for Railways, DV Sadananda Gowda, asking him to produce his son Karthik in the case where the latter was accused of rape and abduction by a little-known Kannada actor Mythriya Gowda.
The notice, in Kannada, was sent to DVS, as he is known in Bangalore, at his Bangalore residence and an English copy by email to his Yahoo account on September 2. The notice asks him to produce his son ”within 24 hours” at the police station for investigation in the case.
The allegations that both Karthik and Mythriya were intimate and had even married in a secret ceremony surfaced in a complaint made by the actress on August 27, the day DVS’s son got engaged to the daughter of a successful Bangalore businessman. While Karthik and his family denied that the two were in a relationship, Mythriya forged ahead saying that she had evidence to prove them wrong. A tape recording of one of their conversations was sourced and published in an exclusive by Bangalore Mirror.
The notice to DVS, asking him to present his son before the investigation officer, was issued after two notices to Karthik to turn himself in “within 24 hours” for questioning, went unanswered.
The notice came barely a fortnight after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s I-Day speech in which he had said, “Parents ask their daughters hundreds of questions, but has any parent ever dared to ask his/her son where he is going, why he is going out, who his friends are? After all, a rapist is also somebody’s son.”
The email notice to DVS was sent on Sept 2 at 12.09 pm. It states that a case of rape, cheating and abduction had been registered against “Karthik Gowda s/o Sri DV Sadananda Gowda”. The notice says that Karthik Gowda is absconding and “in the above circumstances, I have taken an opportunity to issue a notice to the accused father i.e,. Sri Sadananda Gowda, the Honourable Minister of Railways, (address) to produce Mr Karthik Gowda before me or please direct/communicate to him to appear before me to assist investigation. He may be directed to appear before me within 24 hours of the notice received by you. A notice is also fixed to the door (address).” The email curiously ends with, “Sorry for the inconvenience.”
Police rarely send notices to parents in criminal cases involving their sons or daughters, but legally it is sound with the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) empowering police to issue such a notice.
On August 29, two days after Mythriya had filed her complaint, the investigation officer had issued a notice — the first of three — to Karthik. This notice was received by DV Bhaskar Gowda, DVS’s brother. Bhaskar replied to the police on August 31, acknowledging that he had received the notice served on Karthik under Section 41(A) CrPC. Bhaskar stated that neither Karthik nor his immediate family members were at home, that he was visiting his brother’s house for a private function before returning to his home. Since “he (Bhaskar) was unable to contact Karthik till date”, he could not pass on the notice to him. He promised to inform Karthik about the notice as soon as he got in touch with him.
A day after receiving Bhaskar’s reply, police sent a notice to DVS at his Bangalore residence. The notice — in Kannada — makes a mention of Bhaskar accepting the notice and his inability to get in touch with Karthik. The notice to DVS goes on to state that it is “for this reason” that notice was being served to him. “When the Union minister refused to accept the notice, it was pasted on the door of his residence as per procedure,” a senior police officer said.
Meanwhile, Karthik, who has been declared absconding by the police, has filed for anticipatory bail in a trial court. On Saturday, the court adjourned the bail plea to September 8. Criminal advocate Shankarappa, who is unconnected with the case, said now that notice has been sent to DVS, he could find himself in trouble if he is in communication with his son or knows about his whereabouts, and still does not inform the police about it or inform his son about the notice. “This will amount to obstruction of a police investigation,” Shankarappa said. “The police are not only empowered to issue notice to anyone they think is connected to a case or is a witness, but also arrest them if need be.”
Conspiracy theories
The case against Karthik Gowda has given his father’s political friends and foes plenty of fodder to pontificate and point fingers. Quite obviously, the ruling Congress has been accused of fomenting trouble for the Union railways minister. But the first public reference from the state BJP on the issue came, a touch surprisingly, from Shobha Karndlaje, the former minister in BS Yeddyurappa’s cabinet. Karandlaje claimed that the Karthik Gowda issue is an embarrassment to the BJP. She alleged there is a political conspiracy behind the issue to tarnish the image of the party and demanded a thorough investigation to reveal who was behind the entire incident. This coming from the MP representing the Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency, earlier represented by Sadananda Gowda himself, has muddied the conspiracy theories further.
Aug 27: Hours after Karthik Gowda’s engagement ceremony at Kushalnagar, Kodagu, actress Mythriya Gowda files police complaint accusing Karthik of cheating, abduction and rape.
Aug 28: Mythriya is sent for medical examination; she holds press conference and later registers private complaint in magistrate’s court.
Aug 29: Police issue notice to Karthik to appear for interrogation. Notice is received by Bhaskar Gowda, brother of Sadananda Gowda.
Aug 30: Karthik files anticipatory bail plea. Hearing adjourned to Sep 4. Mythriya records statement before magistrate.
Aug 31: Mythriya admitted to hospital. DVS’s brother, Bhaskar Gowda, in reply to police notice says he could not handover notice to Karthik.
Sept 1: Police serve notice on DVS.
Sept 2: Police form special teams to arrest Karthik. Medical report finds no evidence of rape.
Sept 4: Court issues warrant to arrest Karthik as he fails to turn up for interrogation. Court hears Karthik’s bail petition and adjourns hearing to Sep 5.
Sept 5: Court reserves verdict on bail petition till 6 Sep
Sept 6: Verdict on bail petition adjourned to Sep 8
Sources from Bangalore Mirror
