Dharwad MLA Vinay Kulkarni Accused of Rape; Counter-Complaint Filed Alleging Extortion

Bengaluru: A 34-year-old woman has accused Congress MLA from Dharwad Rural Vinay Kulkarni of rape, kidnapping, and criminal intimidation. The Bengaluru city police have registered an FIR against him on Tuesday. In response, Kulkarni has also lodged a counter-complaint, accusing the woman and a Kannada news channel’s head of blackmailing him and an attempt to extort Rs 2 crore from him.

Senior police officials confirmed that the FIR names Vinay Kulkarni and his associate, Arjun, as the accused. According to the woman, who identifies herself as a social worker, she first met Kulkarni at his residence in Bengaluru in early 2022 through a mutual acquaintance. She alleges that their initial conversations quickly turned inappropriate, with the MLA reportedly making sexual advances via video calls. She claimed that when she resisted, Kulkarni sent men to intimidate her, pressuring her to stay in contact.

In March or April 2022, she traveled to Belagavi Circuit House, responding to an invitation from Kulkarni under the assumption that it was for an important matter. During the meeting, the woman claims Kulkarni again made advances, which she resisted. She further alleged that his behavior escalated, including the use of vulgar language during phone calls, but she remained silent due to fear.

The woman reported that on August 24, 2022, Kulkarni took her to a secluded area near Kempegowda International Airport in Devanahalli, where she claims he sexually assaulted her. She alleged that the MLA threatened her into silence, promising to take care of her. Later in September, Kulkarni reportedly confronted her over a leaked audio clip, accusing her of betraying him.

Seeking help, the woman reached out to Arjun, who offered assistance in resolving the issue if she accompanied him to Bengaluru. Initially hesitant, she eventually agreed to travel with trusted individuals. On October 2, 2022, she arrived in Bengaluru but was convinced by Arjun to meet him alone. He then allegedly took her to a remote location where Kulkarni was waiting. There, the MLA reportedly slapped her and accused her of leaking the audio. He also forced her to take an oath to stay quiet.

The woman further alleged that Kulkarni took her to Dharmasthala the same day, where she was again sexually assaulted. She also accused Arjun of deleting crucial evidence, including messages, photos, and videos from her phone.

The Sanjayanagar police have registered the case under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 506 (criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult to provoke a breach of peace), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 366 (kidnapping), 376 (rape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 354 (assault with intent to outrage modesty). Additionally, Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, related to transmitting obscene content, has been invoked.

In his counter-complaint, Kulkarni accused the woman and Rakesh Shetty, managing director of Power TV, of attempting to extort Rs 2 crore from him. This complaint followed a televised broadcast where the woman’s allegations, accompanied by video evidence allegedly showing Kulkarni on a video call with her, were aired. The police have registered this counter-complaint and are now investigating both sets of accusations.

Vinay Kulkarni, the Congress MLA from the Dharwad rural assembly constituency, and he is also facing charges of murdering BJP activist, a gram panchayat member Yogesh Gowda in 2016.

The investigation into both complaints is ongoing, with authorities working to verify the claims and counterclaims from both sides.