)
The son of Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda has been booked for rape and cheating following a complaint by Kannada film actor Maithreyi, police said Thursday. The Gowdas denied the charges.
"We have booked a case against Karthik after the victim filed a complaint late Wednesday ... under sections 176 (rape) and 420 (cheating)... and are investigating," Deputy Police Commissioner T.R. Suresh said.
Maithreyi accused Karthik Gowda of sexually abusing and cheating her by getting engaged to another woman after marrying her 'secretly' in June 5 in Mangalore, about 350 km from the state capital.
She made the charge Wednesday evening after learning about Karthik Gowda's engagement to the daughter of an industrialist at Kushalnagar in Kodagu district, about 230 km from here.
The Union Minister denied the charge and accused his political opponents of attempting to malign him and tarnish his family's reputation.
His son too termed the charge baseless.
"The victim will be asked to undergo a test to verify her charge. If it is proved that she was sexually assaulted, we will ask Karthik too to go through the test," Suresh said.
According to the complaint, Karthik married Maithreyi at his house in Mangalore and promised her to soon hold a public wedding after convincing his father and mother.
"I met Karthik in Bangalore early May through a common friend and we became close over the weeks and had an affair after he assured me he will marry me," Maithreyi said in the complaint.
Gowda, elected to the Lok Sabha from Bangalore North, said neither he nor his wife knew about their son's alleged secret wedding to Maithreyi.
"It is a gimmick indulged by my political opponents for cheap publicity. As a case has been registered against my son, let the law take its course and justice prevail," an upset Gowda told reporters in Mangalore.
In a related development, BJP president Amit Shah Thursday asked the party's state unit to send a report after consulting Gowda, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi was keen to clear the air at the earliest.
