Bengaluru, Jan 19 (IANS) The Karnataka Police has filed an FIR against senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Minister B. Sriramulu at the Ballari Women’s Police Station in Ballari city on Monday on charges of revealing the name and identity of the victim in connection with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The complaint alleges that during his speech, sensitive details were mentioned, clearly violating the provisions of the POCSO Act.

Based on the complaint, a case has been registered against former Minister Sriramulu under the POCSO Act, police said.

It is said that while addressing the BJP’s protest rally held on January 17 demanding the arrest of Congress MLA Nara Bharath Reddy and handing over of the shootout case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), former Minister Sriramulu while attacking Congress MLA Reddy had revealed the victim’s identity.

The former Minister had allegedly said that Ballari had become a ganja and drugs hub and claimed that the accused had consumed drugs before sexually assaulting a schoolgirl.

During the speech, Sriramulu is accused of revealing the POCSO case survivor’s name, address, class and the name of the school she attends.

When asked about the development, BJP MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy in Bengaluru said that he got to know that APMC Station inspector has lodged a case against him and also added that they will face the case legally.

Sriramulu is a close aide of Janardhana Reddy.

Karnataka BJP MLA Janardhana Reddy, his wife Aruna Laxmi, and close aide B. Sriramulu had launched a scathing attack against the Congress-led state government and local Congress MLA Nara Bharath Reddy following an incident of violence in Ballari that resulted in the death of a Congress worker indicates that political tension in the region is likely to intensify in the coming days.

They made these statements at a protest rally organised to demand a CBI probe into the Ballari incident and the immediate arrest of local Congress MLA Nara Bharath Reddy.

Sriramulu said the protest rally was organised not for the protection of Janardhana Reddy alone, but for the protection of the Kalyana Karnataka region.

Naming Congress MLA Bharath Reddy and police officers who allegedly colluded with him, Sriramulu added that he would not spare them even if they hid anywhere in the world.

The former Karnataka Minister Sriramulu said that since there was an attempt to kill both him and Janardhana Reddy, he would not remain silent.

He also added that the BJP would form the government in Karnataka once the state Assembly elections are held.

–IANS

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