Former minister Hartal Halappa gets clean chit in sexual assault case

Hartal Halappa was accused of allegedly raping the wife of his financier-friend
Following the accusations, Halappa had to resign from the cabinet to save the first -ever BJP government from embarrassment
Halappa was the food and civil supplies minister in the then BJP government led by BS Yeddyurappa

Former minister Hartal Halappa has been acquitted of rape charges by the Shivamogga local court on Thursday. After hearing arguments and counter arguments for seven years, the court gave Halappa a clean chit exonerating him of all charges. Halappa who seemed to have expected the judgement in his favour had come armed with his supporters to the court hall. His supporters reportedly distributed sweets in the court hall as the verdict came out.

Halappa was accused of allegedly sexually assaulting the wife of his financier-friend Venkatesh Murthy when he stayed in their residence on November 29, 2009. The BJP government faced severe embarrassment when a Kannada daily then broke the story.

Interestingly, even before a formal complaint was lodged against him, Halappa had quit the ministry reportedly to save the Yeddyurappa-led government from the embarrassment. The victim has been identified as Chandramathi. Her husband Venkatesh Murthy had later lodged a complaint against the minister seeking punishment for Halappa.

Halappa who had vehemently denied these allegations (even after resigning) had later stated that it was a political conspiracy by his political rivals. He had suspected his rivals Beluru Gopalakrishna, former chief minister S Bangarappa and his sons behind the incident.

Halappa, considered a close lieutenant of former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, was a three-time MLA from the Sorab constituency in Shivamogga district. Shivamogga is the home district of BJP stalwarts both Yeddyurappa and KS Eshwarappa.

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