‘Santro’ Ravi on the run, BJP ties loom large

NT Correspondent

Mysuru I Bengaluru: Even as Mysuru police launched a search for Manjunath KS also known as ‘Santro’ Ravi on Friday, top BJP leaders have been coming under immense scrutiny for links with the notorious figure.

Apparently, Ravi got the prefix ‘Santro’ because he used the hatchback Hyundai Santro to kidnap women and then force them into prostitution. He has several cases of rape and trafficking against him, dating back to 2003.

The fugitive is currently being pursued by Mysuru’s Vijayanagar police over rape charges and offences under the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) Atrocities Act and Dowry Prevention Act. A Mysuru-based Dalit woman said that she had responded to a job opening in a local paper back in March 2019 and Ravi had given her the job. However, when she showed up for the job, she was served a spiked juice by the office and then Ravi raped her, she claimed.

She added that in the accused threatened to release nude pictures he had taken of her when she was unconscious. He also allegedly tried to force her to marry him and she finally relented back in April the same year. The victim claimed that he repeatedly sexually assaulted her, infected her with a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) and forced her into sexual acts with strangers.

Ravi eventually evicted her from a house that he owned but then re-admitted her into another house in Kuvempu Nagar in Mysuru city in March 2020. Here, he demanded Rs10 lakh from her in dowry from her, which she couldn’t provide.

By November 2021, the couple had moved to Sheshadripuram where she became pregnant. Ravi allegedly forced her to abort her unborn child. The victim learned that the accused was already married and eventually decided to pursue a case against him.

Saffron party under fi re BJP biwigs such as State Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, Health Minister K Sudhakar and Education Minister BC Nagesh have been at the receiving end of brickbats by the Opposition parties as pictures of them posing alongside ‘Santro’ Ravi have been doing the rounds on social media.

Matters became worse after the emergence of two audio clips leaked by a Kannada news channel and an NGO named Odanadi Seva Samsthe. In one clip, Ravi can be heard bragging, ostensibly to a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) that the chief minister calls him 'sir,' even suggesting a meeting at the Kumara Krupa Guest House at the CM’s official residence.

In another, Ravi can be heard threatening to transfer a cop to Nelamangala traffic division. He goes on to brag about being friends with top cops including an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Director General of Police (DGP) and Assistant Director General of Police (ADGP).

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has vehemently denied having ties with Ravi. Rowdy nexus claims The BJP has also been under fire from the Opposition Congress and JD(S) over ties with history sheeters since December last year.

Party MP Tejasvi Surya, MLAs PC Mohan and Uday Garudachar had shared stage with rowdy ‘Silent’ Sunil at a local Bengaluru blood donation camp. The saffron party had also accepted history sheeter Mallikarjun aka ‘Fighter’ Ravi into the party. Ravi is considered one of the foremost aspirants for the BJP’s Nelamangala Assembly constituency’s ticket.

Another rowdy Manjunath alias Uppi, was nominated to Anekal Town Municipal Council by the BJP. Karnataka BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel and MP Pratap Simha have denied the rowdy nexus.