Bengaluru Naresh Gowda, a journalist wanted in the alleged sex tape case involving former state minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, on Thursday released a video claiming innocence. On March 12, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) questioned Gowda for his alleged involvement in leaking the video. Gowda has since been absconding.
In the video, he claimed that he did not appear before the investigating officers because he believed he will be fixed in the case. “My name has been dragged into the sex tape case involving former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi. There is a systematic effort to fix me in the case,” said Gowda.
He also claimed that he was in touch with the woman in the video, adding that it was not for extortion but to “help a woman in distress”. “I want to clarify that I’m not involved in this case. It is a fact that I was in touch with that woman. But she contacted me as I was a journalist, and she has some problems. She got my number from some friends and called me to say that former minister Jarkiholi cheated her. I asked her to bring any audio or video clipping she has evidence… I might have interacted with her 15-20 times for this case,” he said in the video.
Gowda added that since he got busy with family commitments, he lost touch with the woman. “Now it is said that I’m the mastermind who circulated the video. I want to clarify that only when the video came on my phone, I realised such a video was leaked and the woman had come to me earlier. I have no role in this video getting released. People have been claiming I got paid ₹5 crore for this CD, but the fact is that I’m paying ₹15,000 EMI for a ₹5 lakh loan I have taken. There have been a couple of times, where my cheques have bounced before my salary didn’t come on time,” he claimed.
{{/usCountry}}Gowda added that since he got busy with family commitments, he lost touch with the woman. “Now it is said that I’m the mastermind who circulated the video. I want to clarify that only when the video came on my phone, I realised such a video was leaked and the woman had come to me earlier. I have no role in this video getting released. People have been claiming I got paid ₹5 crore for this CD, but the fact is that I’m paying ₹15,000 EMI for a ₹5 lakh loan I have taken. There have been a couple of times, where my cheques have bounced before my salary didn’t come on time,” he claimed.
{{/usCountry}}He further added, “…I should have helped her when I had the chance, but I was waiting for evidence... but now the situation is such that even though the woman is the victim in this case, police are painting a picture that Jarkiholi is the victim. They are portraying this woman in her 20s as an accused and harassing her.”
He said he will appear before the investigating officers within eight days.
On March 3, Jarkiholi resigned from the post of water resources minister after a social activist filed a police complaint accusing him of sexual harassment. The activist has since withdrawn his complaint.