Senior BJP Leader Ravi, Arrested For ‘Abusing’ Karnataka Minister, Granted Interim Bail

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Friday granted interim bail to senior BJP leader and four-time MLA CT Ravi, who was arrested for abusing Karnataka’s Women & Child Development minister Laxmi Hebbalkar.

The 57-year-old Ravi was arrested on Thursday amid uproarious scenes at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha after he was accused of making a ‘derogatory’ comment about Hebbalkar inside the Legislative Council.

Ravi, who was nabbed from the state’s second secretariat on charges of sexual harassment and insulting the modesty of a woman, based on Hebbalkar’s complaint, was taken to the Khanapur police station.

Hebbalkar’s angry supporters, who stormed the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha and tried to attack Ravi, were detained by police.

Ravi, who received head injuries during a scuffle with police and Congress supporters, claimed that the Karnataka government was trying to kill him.

The high court said in its order that a doctor in Belgaum had recommended a CT scan for the BJP leader to rule out any complication following his head injury.

“The petitioner has submitted that the Speaker of Council said no such wordings (Ravi abusing Hebbalkar) were uttered. Even if the alleged incident occurred, which is unfortunate, the police was not required to manhandle the petitioner,” the court observed.