Sidlaghatta civic official threat case: Rajeev Gowda arrested at Kerala border

The Sidlaghatta police on Monday arrested Rajeev Gowda, a Congress leader and the accused in a threat case involving a civic official, at the Kerala border, ending his days-long evasion.

Rajeev Gowda, who had been on the run since January 14, was arrested by a special police team after sustained tracking.

He is accused in a case registered at the Sidlaghatta Town Police Station for allegedly abusing and threatening the Sidlaghatta municipal commissioner over the phone. The conversation went viral and led to public outrage.

According to the police, the accused had initially fled to Mangaluru after the FIR was registered and later moved towards Kerala in an attempt to evade arrest. Acting on specific intelligence, the police traced his movement and apprehended him at the Kerala border on Monday evening.

The police said the accused was being brought to Sidlaghatta under tight security. He is likely to be produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody.

The case was registered following a complaint by Amrutha Gowda, who alleged that Rajeev Gowda abused her over the phone and threatened her with dire consequences after she removed a banner bearing his photographs.

The issue soon snowballed into a political controversy, triggering a blame game between the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP. Following the allegations, the Congress suspended Rajeev Gowda from party membership.

The BJP accused the State government of shielding the accused and demanded his immediate arrest. The party workers had also announced plans for a massive protest, prompting the police to expedite efforts to trace and arrest him.