Arrest warrant against BJP MLA Renukacharya

A city court has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against BJP MLA Renukacharya, who is accused of harassing nurse Jayalakshmi.

The fifth Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in Bangalore issued the warrant after the police filed the charge-sheet against the BJP legislator for threatening nurse Jayalakshmi.

According to the charge-sheet, the MLA had threatened to release Jayalakshmi’s nude photographs to the media and the college, where she works, if she did not stop issuing statements against him. The MLA had claimed that he had at least 500 pictures of the nurse in a compromising position.

Noting that the acts of the MLA were punishable under section 506 of Indian Penal Code, the judge issued a non-bailable warrant and ordered the police to arrest him before June 25.

According to police, the BJP MLA has a total of 16 criminal cases registered against him in Honnali and one in Shimoga.

The public spat between 36-year-old nurse Jayalakshmi and the married BJP MLA came to light after she gave a statement to a television channel that the MLA was sexually harassing her and had threatened her with dire circumstances. Later, she attempted a suicide for which a case has been registered against her.

The nurse, who later obtained bail from the court with regard to her attempted suicide, gave a dramatic twist to the episode by releasing photographs in which the MLA was shown kissing her.