Rajeev Gowda, a prominent Congress leader and Sidlaghatta assembly candidate, was arrested by Chikkaballapur police after nearly two weeks of evasion from the law. In a dramatic run through several districts, Gowda was captured near the Kerala border, bringing an end to a high-profile debate that, in particular, has led to a state-wide uprising within the ruling party.
The Midnight Manhunt
The breakthrough emerged early Monday morning after police received a tip-off that Gowda was hiding in the Dakshina Kannada district. As teams converged to lock him in Mangaluru, the defendant allegedly tried to escape at the last minute to the border with Kerala. Alert police units, however, snuffed out his advance and took him in.
Gowda had been running since January 14 when an FIR was registered against him on the charges of making verbally abusive and threatening speech against Amrutha Gowda, Municipal Commissioner Sidlaghatta.
The "Banner Row" escalates
The spat started on Jan. 12 when municipal officials took out illegal banners and flex allegedly used to promote a movie that were blocking public movement in Sidlaghatta. Frustrated by the move, Rajeev Gowda is said to have telephoned Commissioner Amrutha Gowda and unleashed a storm of abuse.
“He threatened to set my office on fire and incite all 31 wards to riot,” the Commissioner said in a complaint. “I quit high-paying software employment for KAS officer, and nobody has ever verbally spoken to me with such vitriol in five years of service.”
The call went viral with the audio showing Gowda warning the official that she would be "driven out of the Taluk" if she didn't give him what he wanted.
High Court’s Stern Rebuke
Gowda’s efforts to obtain legal immunity were ground-breaking. Justice M. Nagaprasanna of the Karnataka High Court dismissed his application to quash the FIR on Jan 22. The court did not look down on his behaviour, and wondered why not more severe charges like Section 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to insulting the modesty of a woman should have been invoked.
The judge noted: "no man can be permitted to speak in a language so offensive" and stressed that legislators and politicians must moderately restrain their words when speaking to public servants.
Political Chaos and Suspension
The event sent tremors through Congress. Although he was close to top officials, Gowda was formally suspended by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on January 23, stating that his actions had led to "severe embarrassment" to the party.
The BJP and opposition leaders had also exerted pressure, calling for “suo motu” action by the Women’s Commission and criticizing the delay in his arrest. With his bail plea rejected and losing his party membership, Gowda now is facing a vigorous probe into criminal intimidation and obstruction of a public servant charges.
