Thaindian News

Bangalore, May 13 (IANS) Former Karnataka minister Haratalu Halappa, accused of raping his friend’s wife, will be shifted from his home district Shimoga to a hospital here for better treatment, police said.
Halappa has been in the government McGann hospital in Shimoga, about 270 km from here since May 8, within hours of his arrest on charges of raping Chandravathi, wife of his friend Venkatesh Murthy Nov 26-27, 2009.

Doctors at McGann hospital have recommended that the minister be shifted to Bangalore as he is suffering from heart ailment, asthma, hypertension and high blood sugar levels.

A court in Shimoga Thursday permitted moving Halappa to the state-run Victoria hospital in Bangalore, a Shimoga police spokesperson said.

Shimoga jail authorities said they may shift Halappa to Bangalore late Thursday or Friday morning.

Halappa resigned as food and civil supplies minister May 2 but surrendered to the Shimoga police on May 8, four days after criminal cases were filed against him on the basis of a complaint by Chandravathi.

He was sent to jail that day but soon after he complained of chest pain and was admitted to the McGann hospital. His judicial custody has been extended till May 24.

The Shimoga court directed the jail authorities to bring Halappa before it May 24.

Chandravathi has complained that Halappa raped her on the night of Nov 26-27, after inviting himself to her place for dinner and staying back for the night. Murthy said that late that night Halappa sent him out to get medicine saying he was not feeling well but when he returned he found Halappa semi-nude and his wife wailing.

Murthy said he caught the scene on his cell phone and released the clippings for media.

Halappa has denied the charges and claimed the clippings are morphed. He has said he suspected rivals within his Bharatiya Janata Party to be behind the campaign to tarnish his image.