Karnataka BJP accuses Cong govt of protecting wanted criminal

Kalaburagi/Bengaluru, Nov 7 (IANS) Karnataka BJP on Tuesday accused the Congress government of protecting an alleged criminal R.D. Patil, who was involved in the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) scam.

Patil was arrested in connection with the infamous PSI recruitment scandal.

After obtaining bail in the scam, his role in the KEA scam has come out.

Speaking to reporters in Kalaburagi on Tuesday, BJP MLA B.Y. Vijayendra charged the Congress government and ministers with supporting the alleged criminal R.D Patil.

Patil and his team are as puppets in the hands of the Congress government, he added.

"It is not possible for him to escape unless he is supported by the ministers and MLAs. R.D. Patil is not a common man. He has direct contact and support of top leaders of Congress government. He manages to escape even after an SP ranked officer getting information about whereabouts indicates the role of invisible hands," he stated.

Slamming RDPR and IT, BT minister Priyank Kharge, Vijayendra stated that present district in-charge minister had levelled charges in connection with the accused against the previous BJP government.

Now, it is evident that the Congress party is totally supporting him. The police officers do not carry any weightage and respect. Supporting the alleged accused is unfortunate and a failure of administration, Vijayendra stated.

Former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa, reacting to the development in Bengaluru, stated that the government should take action to immediately arrest the culprit.

"I came to know about the escape incident and will gather more information on it, Rudra Patil must be arrested," he asserted.

Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara talking to reporters in Bengaluru, explained that there are many cases against Patil. "We have instructed police to arrest him sooner. We have information that he is hiding in Maharashtra state. This is not a big matter for the department, how many days will he be able to stay in hiding?" Parameshwara maintained.

"Our objective is to bring the truth out and we will bring him into book surely. He was also involved in the PSI scandal and we will get more evidence in the KEA scam as well," he stated.

If necessary, the KEA exam scam case would be handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

When asked about Rudra Patil managing to escape even as SP had the information about his whereabouts beforehand, if any negligence is found, action will be initiated, he stated.

It is alleged that the police are not arresting Rudra Patil, a kingpin in KEA scam even as he is roaming freely.

Further it is alleged that the police after getting information about his presence at his flat deliberately let him to escape.

The CCTV footage of Rudra Patil escaping by jumping the compound wall has gone viral on social media. He had escaped when the police reached the entrance.

The Karnataka police have made more than 20 arrests in the KEA scam in which candidates using Bluetooth and indulging in malpractice had come to light. The activists and BJP are demanding the CBI probe into the matter. However, Minister Priyank Kharge is maintaining that the Karnataka police department is thoroughly investigating the KEA Bluetooth scam in which some candidates used Bluetooth devices for writing exams conducted by the Karnataka Examination Authority.

Rejecting the demand for the CBI probe, he maintained that the probe is conducted efficiently. Accused R.D. Patil had filed nomination from Afzalpur Assembly constituency in Karnataka as a candidate from Samajwadi party after his release from jail on bail in the PSI scam.

Patil has 16 cases against him, most of them related to recruitment scams, police said.