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The Karnataka Police Thursday detained BJP leader Manikant Rathod who had recently alleged that he was attacked by Congress workers owing allegiance to state minister Priyank Kharge while he was heading from his farmhouse in his car.
Notably, Rathod was detained minutes before addressing a scheduled press conference at his residence. He was not allowed to speak to the media after he was detained.
Talking about the development, Kalaburgi City Police Commissioner Chethan R said, “We have received inputs that he (Manikant Rathod) was reportedly attempting to disrupt the law and order in the city. We have detained him and will look into the false complaint he had filed.”
On Wednesday, Chethan R held a press meeting and claimed, “A police officer said that Rathod was in Gurmitkal in Yadgir district, and while returning late at night, he met with an accident near Chapetla. Later, he called his brother Raju Rathod and asked him to send another car. The car that met with the accident was sent to Hyderabad. They sent another car near his farmhouse and vandalised it to make it look like he was attacked. After going through the call details record (CDR) and tower location of Rathod’s mobile phone, it was confirmed that he was not near his farmhouse.”
Hours after Chethan’s press statement, IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge held a press meeting in Belagavi Wednesday and threatened to file a criminal defamation case against Rathod and other BJP leaders.
“Rathod and his gang tried to portray that I had attacked. Senior BJP leaders visited him in the hospital after the incident and everyone blamed me for no reason. Now, the police investigation has revealed the truth. I will move court and file a criminal defamation case against Rathod and BJP leaders who accused me without evidence.”
Rathod had contested against Priyank Kharge in the Chittapur seat on a BJP ticket in the last election but lost.
The BJP leader faces 33 criminal cases including theft of rice distributed under the government’s Anna Bhagya scheme. He has also been convicted in three cases.
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