BJP MLA Harish Poonja attends police inquiry, gets station bail

BJP MLA Harish Poonja appeared before the Belthangady police in Dakshina Kannada district for an inquiry pertaining to two cases registered against him and was granted station bail, police sources said on Thursday.

The BJP leader was summoned for interrogation by the police on Wednesday evening.

While the first case was registered for allegedly pressurising the police to release a party worker who was arrested for illegal quarrying, the second case was filed for staging a protest in front of the Taluk office against the FIR registered against him.

On May 18, Poonja had barged into the Belthangady police station demanding Shashiraj Shetty’s release. Subsequently, he was booked under the IPC sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 341 (wrongful restraint), 504 (intentional insult to provoke), and 506 (criminal intimidation).

During the protest, Poonja had allegedly abused local police officers and the Tahsildar and ridiculed the Superintendent of Police.

On May 22 night, Harish Poonja surrendered before the police and was questioned in connection with the cases, following high drama at his residence. Later, Poonja was released on station bail.