Dharwad Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni is facing serious accusations after a 34-year-old woman filed a complaint with the Sanjaynagar police, Bengaluru, alleging rape, harassment, and kidnap. The FIR, filed on Tuesday, includes charges against Kulkarni and his close associate Arjun, named as A2 in the case.
According to the complainant, she met Kulkarni in 2022 when the MLA obtained her phone number through a farmer and started contacting her frequently. She also alleged that he called her late-night, according to a report on The New Indian Express. Over time, she alleged that Kulkarni made inappropriate advances, including a video call where he appeared naked. She alleged that he pressured her to visit his house in Hebbal and when she resisted, she claimed that a group of men threatened her with consequences if she did not comply.
In April, she alleged that the MLA invited her to Belagavi, where he hugged and attempted to sexually abuse her before stopping when other people arrived. Additionally, she accused Kulkarni’s associate, Arjun, of taking her to an isolated location where the MLA confronted and assaulted her, accusing her of leaking an audio recording of their conversations. She also alleged that she was subjected to rape even after she informed him that it was not her who released the video.
She alleged that she was once again raped at a place near Dharmasthala on October 2.
In response to these allegations, a counter-FIR has been filed against the woman at Sanjay Nagar police station, with charges filed under BNS 2023 (u/S-3(5), 308(2), 61(2)). The counter-FIR lists Rakesh Shetty as A1, with the woman as A2, and other unidentified individuals as A3. The case is under investigation.
Vinay is the Chairman of Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board.
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