Bengaluru, Jan 24: State home minister MB Patil on Wednesday said the government could put Congress MLA JN Ganesh back on the rowdy-sheeter list, if he is found guilty in the case pertaining to his alleged assault on colleague Anand Singh. Police have charged Ganesh with attempt to murder.
In his first press conference since he was made home minister, Patil said he has given police a free hand to act against Ganesh, who is still at large.
“Nobody is bigger than the law,” Patil said. “This is a heinous act and will not be tolerated by the party or the government. An FIR has been filed against Ganesh and the party has already suspended him.”
Home department sources say Ganesh, who represents Kampli constituency in Ballari district, was on the Hospet police station’s rowdy-sheeters list between 2006 and 2015. The MLA, 39, is a black belt in karate and had been booked by Ballari police several times for his involvement in street fights. He faced several cases, including obstructing police from performing their duties, but it was withdrawn after the prosecution failed to prove the charges.
Ganesh was booked under sections 323 (causing hurt) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC for his alleged attack on Singh at a resort on Monday. Asked why the police had failed to arrest Ganesh even five days after registering the case, Patil said sleuths have launched a manhunt to find him.
“In such cases, the accused abscond, but police will arrest him soon,” Patil said. “We will not interfere in the investigation.”
FIR a political tool?
MB Patil’s decision to give police a free hand to act against his own party MLA is being perceived in political circles as an attempt to prevent Ganesh from defecting to the BJP. Congress and BJP sources said a case against Ganesh would be a handy political weapon should the MLA switch sides. Ganesh is reportedly among six Congress legislators who are ready to quit and join the BJP.
“The criminal charges will help the party act against him at an appropriate time,” said a senior Congress leader.
However, G Janardhana Reddy, former BJP minister and mining baron from Ballari, who called on Singh on Wednesday at the hospital where he is being treated in Bengaluru, gave the incident a different spin. Singh and Ganesh too are from Ballari.
Reddy claimed the incident is a clear reflection of the power tussle within the Congress.
“There are two factions in the Congress – one represented by Siddaramaiah and the other by DK Shivakumar,” Reddy said. “While Singh belongs to the Shivakumar camp, Ganesh and another Ballari MLA LBJ Bheema Naik are in Siddaramaiah’s camp.”
Meanwhile, the four MLAs — Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumatalli, Umesh Jadhav and B Nagendra — who were issued show-cause notices for staying away from the CLP meeting on January 18, are yet to furnish replies. Sources say the Congress leadership will wait for a couple of days before initiating action.
THE LOWDOWN ON ROWDY-SHEETS
A rowdy-sheet can be opened against any person involved in a crime. Even one incident of serious nature is enough for cops to open a rowdy-sheet against an accused.
Once a rowdy-sheet is opened, the accused must appear before police wherever summoned. Rowdy-sheeters are also taken into preventive custody during sensitive times like communal clashes.
A person who has a rowdysheet opened in his name must approach a local court to get it removed. If the court is convinced, it will direct cops to remove the tag.
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