Attacked Hospet MLA Anand Singh in self-defence, says arrested Congress MLA JN Ganesh
BENGALURU: Congress MLA JN Ganesh , arrested on Wednesday from Somnath in Gujarat, was on Thursday remanded in judicial custody till March 6 by the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Ramanagara .
Bidadi police, who arrested the Kampli MLA for allegedly attempting to murder his colleague, Hospet MLA Anand Singh in a resort in Ramanagara district late January 20 night, did not seek his custody.
Investigators questioned him for two hours before producing him in the court.
Ganesh had gone missing after the attack in the Bidadi resort where the Congress MLAs had been sequestered to prevent the BJP from poaching them. Police booked Ganesh for attempt to murder on a statement by Singh alleging that his colleague had tried to kill him.
“We brought Ganesh to Bidadi police station around 10.30am and questioned him about the alleged attack and recorded his statement,” said a senior police officer. “Ganesh confessed that he had attacked Singh in an act of self-defence as the Hospet MLA assaulted him first. Ganesh alleged that Singh had abused him by invoking his community and forced him to sit on a floor when the duo was drinking at the resort. Ganesh also alleged that Singh had abused Ganesh’s wife and mother.”
Ganesh had gone missing after the attack in the Bidadi resort where the Congress MLAs had been sequestered to prevent the BJP from poaching them. Police booked Ganesh for attempt to murder on a statement by Singh alleging that his colleague had tried to kill him.
“We brought Ganesh to Bidadi police station around 10.30am and questioned him about the alleged attack and recorded his statement,” said a senior police officer. “Ganesh confessed that he had attacked Singh in an act of self-defence as the Hospet MLA assaulted him first. Ganesh alleged that Singh had abused him by invoking his community and forced him to sit on a floor when the duo was drinking at the resort. Ganesh also alleged that Singh had abused Ganesh’s wife and mother.”
After interrogation, police took him to hospital for a medical examination and produced him in the court around 3.45pm. Ganesh’s counsel requested the court to grant his client bail as he had various health issues including breathing problems. Singh’s counsel objected to the plea.
Judge Anitha M heard arguments from both sides before remanding Ganesh to 14 days in judicial custody.
Ganesh’s counsel also requested that the MLA be lodged at Central Prison, Parappana Agrahara, southeast Bengaluru, instead of being sent to the Ramanagara district jail. The judge directed police to lodge Ganesh in the Bengaluru jail.
Ganesh told police that he came to know that Singh had been hospitalised on the morning of January 21 and intended to visit him in hospital. But his party leaders asked him not to go, warning that the media was besieging the hospital.
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