Mangaluru sexual harassment of law intern: Accused advocate’s wife, relative arrested

Mangaluru: Two persons were arrested on charges of helping senior advocate K S N Rajesh Bhat, who is absconding from police since October in a case related to the sexual harassment of law interns. Police sources, on Friday, said that the arrested are the wife and another relative of the accused advocate.

The victim filed a case of sexual harassment against the accused senior lawyer Bhat on October 18. According to police sources, the accused’s wife Shashikala Rajesh, and another person named Ashok K, who is said to be the accused’s relative, were found to be allegedly cooperating with the advocate and helping him to escape from the police. Both the accused have been produced before the court and they were released on bail, IANS reported police sources as saying.

Earlier, the Karnataka High Court had rejected the bail petition of the accused Rajesh accused of sexually harassing a law graduate at his office in Mangaluru. Police Commissioner Mangaluru, N Shashi Kumar stated the police had convinced the court why the accused advocate shouldn’t get bail. The court also issued arrest orders against him.

The police have not been able to arrest him so far and have issued a Lookout notice to prevent him from escaping to another country. All his bank accounts have been frozen.

The victim had questioned the police as to why they have not been able to arrest the accused for so long. The accused advocate Rajesh had been suspended from the membership of the Karnataka State Bar Council until further orders and instructions were given not to practice at the courts following the FIR on him.

Meanwhile, the police department has suspended two police officers including a female sub-inspector for dereliction of duty in connection with the case and arrested three persons.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) authorities had directed the accused advocate not to continue as the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) of ACB at Third Additional District and Sessions court.

(With inputs from IANS)