Mangaluru: Karnataka police on Monday registered a case against BJP leader Arun Kumar Puthila for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman here.
A 47-year-old woman has accused Puthila of allegedly sexually assaulting her in a Bengaluru hotel in June last year.
She claimed that the politician took explicit photos and videos during the alleged sexual assault, which he then used to blackmail her into silence.
The FIR, lodged in Dakshina Kannada district, adds another dark chapter to Puthila’s controversial career.
Puthila, who contested last year’s Karnataka Assembly election as an independent and narrowly lost to Congress’s Ashok Kumar Rai, later jumped ship to the BJP. Despite losing, he garnered a significant 62,458 votes, proving his influence.
This only adds to the mounting legal woes facing the BJP in Karnataka, following allegations against former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. The latter’s accuser died under mysterious circumstances earlier this year.
