Twist in Karnataka 'sex CD' scandal: DK Shivakumar is mastermind of the explosive video, alleges woman's family

Twist in Karnataka 'sex CD' scandal: DK Shivakumar is mastermind of the explosive video, alleges woman's family

The new revelations have caused both harm and embarrassment to the Congress which has been demanding Ramesh Jarkiholi’s arrest and a high court-monitored probe into the scandal

Shankar RajUpdated: Sunday, March 28, 2021, 08:59 PM IST
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Congress leader DK Shivakumar | ANI photo

Bengaluru: The sex-for-job video scandal involving former BJP minister Ramesh Jarkiholi took a political twist Saturday with the family of the woman allegedly involved in the sexually-explicit video reportedly stating that it was Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar who was the mastermind of the explosive video.

Speaking to the media after giving their statement to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), the father of the woman, an ex-serviceman, and her two brothers, alleged that “it is Shivakumar who released the CD. He is the mastermind. He used the situation to his benefit”. The woman’s brother added that it was DKS who had packed her off to Goa.

“We just want our daughter back,” her father said.

The new revelations have caused both harm and embarrassment to the Congress which has been demanding Ramesh Jarkiholi’s arrest and a high court-monitored probe into the scandal.

“We have an audio clipping of a phone call with my sister and the same has been shared with SIT officials. My sister told me that she is at Shivakumar’s house and he is sending her to Goa safely. Making such videos, supporting a woman to take political revenge is not the right thing,” her brother added.

“Using a scheduled tribe woman for his (DKS) political gain is dirty politics. We don’t expect anything,” the woman’s father.

Soon after, Ramesh Jarkiholi said Shivakumar was the “producer’’ of the CD. “I have 11 pieces of evidence about his involvement. I will file a police case against him. He has used an innocent woman to play politics. The statement of her parents has vindicated my stand. Shivakumar is unfit to be in politics,” he added.

But later, the DKS angle fell apart when the woman released yet another audio recording contradicting the allegations made by her father and brothers. In the new video, she accused Ramesh Jarkiholi of threatening and blackmailing her parents into issuing statements against Shivakumar. “They don’t know what has happened to me. They are being blackmailed. They were tutored to tell the media what they said. I am scared to come out,” she said in the clip. She requested Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, opposition leader Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar to help her record her statement before a judge.

In his reaction, DKS claimed he was not aware if he had met the woman, but admitted that he knew Naresh Gowda who has been linked to the case.

“We are in public life and thousands of people come to meet me every day at my house, office and wherever I go. Even the woman in the CD might have tried to meet me, but I’m not aware of it,” he said.

Meanwhile, the JD(S) Saturday stated that the alleged CD scandal is turning out to be a case of honeytrap. In a series of tweets, the party said: “It now seems like a conspiracy. The name of DK Shivakumar has figured, making it look like a case of honey-trap.”

In Mysuru, cooperation minister ST Somashekar said: “The people of Karnataka and me were curious to know who this ‘mahanayaka’ was behind the sleaze CD. It is not surprising that Shivakumar’s name is doing the rounds on social media. SIT investigation will reveal more truth.”

On Sunday, Jarkiholi supporters allegedly threw stones at Shivakumar's car in Belagavi and waved black flags. DKS was campaigning in the Jarkiholi stronghold of Belagavi for the impending byelections there along with senior party colleagues including former ministers.

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