Wife of Karnataka BJP leader accuses him of assault

The wife of a former BJP MLA on Thursday alleged that her husband beat her up inside a police station here for asking why he was not coming home for the last six months.

She also alleged that her husband was having an affair with another woman but said she “wanted him to come out of it”.

Former Mudigere MLA M.P. Kumaraswamy’s wife Savita, her mother and brother on Thursday came to meet him at Legislators’ Home. Soon after, an argument erupted between the husband and wife outside the Legislators’ Home, following which the police took them to a nearby police station.

Coming out of the police station, Savita told reporters: “He beat me up inside the police station in front of the police. I came here to ask him about his activities. I came to request him to come back home and lead a life with me.” She said she was not filing any complaint as it was a family matter.

“He left home on January 1... He has not come back yet. I want him back, I want him to leave that woman and lead a life with me,” she added.

Savita said he had left home after she questioned him about an audio recording of him talking to another woman.

Officials said they had referred Savita to “Vanitha Sahayavani” (woman’s helpline) after their attempts to mediate failed and she refused to file any complaint against her husband.

In his defence, Mr Kumaraswamy said, “It is a family dispute, we will sort it out.” Asked why he had not gone home for six months, he alleged that she (Savita) had not come to him for eight years.

He termed as false her charges that he had beaten her up and said he would not go with her.

Savita, who later also met city police chief Megharikh, said she was still undecided about filing any complaint against her husband and wanted to talk to him first.