Jarkiholi lured me in with a government job to use me, says a woman

The woman, who accused the former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi on a sex scandal for work, appeared before a magistrate at Gurunanak Bhavan (Jasma Bhavan), a makeshift court complex for security reasons, Tuesday. She arrived at the scene from an undisclosed location at 3 p.m. and recorded her statements under Section 164 CrPC, a public document under Section 74 of India’s Evidence Act.

The woman appeared before a magistrate and a typist who recorded her statement endorsing everything she revealed in her video statements earlier. She told the magistrate that she was under duress and great pressure and blamed Ramesh Jarkiholi for also putting undue pressure on her parents. She said she was worried about her parents, her safety and well-being.

Sources said she told the magistrate she was lured into a government post by the minister who “used” and “exploited” after being promised she would land the job.

Shortly after the declaration was registered with the magistrate, the SIT took the woman to the unit of the technical division of the AUTO quarters in Adugodi and recorded his statement there. SIT detectives questioned her about the three cases that were recorded at the town’s police stations – one at Cubbon Park Police, by her associate attorney KN Jagadish, another case filed by Jarikiholi’s associate with the Sadashivanagar police and another matter with the RT Nagar police where the parents of the woman had filed a complaint for the disappearance of their daughter to Belagavi who has been transferred to jurisdiction as she resides at RT Nagar.

His statements were recorded under Article 161 of the CrPC which allows any police officer carrying out an investigation accredited and empowered to question orally any person supposed to know the facts and circumstances of the case and to record witness statements.

After her statements were recorded, she was escorted to an undisclosed location amidst heightened police security.

Since mid-March, the woman has posted five video clips of her secret hiding place alleging that the lives of her family members and her were threatened by Jarikiholi.

Former minister Jarkihoili lodged a complaint with Sadashivanagar police on March 13, alleging that a “fake CD” was circulating to damage his reputation, but he did not mention anyone’s name in his complaint. Police sources said the woman would be taken for a medical examination, after which an on-site mahajar would also be carried out probably on Wednesday.