Aravind Limbavali, who formerly held the Higher Education Minister portfolio, told the inspector to withdraw a case against a corporator during the by-elections in September

Former minister threatened cop

Aravind Limbavali, who formerly held the Higher Education Minister portfolio, told the inspector to withdraw a case against a corporator during the by-elections in September

Aravind Limbavali, a former minister with the BJP, who recently lost his ministerial berth in the recent reshuffle, has been accused of threatening an inspector on duty warning him to drop a case filed against a BJP Corporator.

Though the incident happened during the by-elections in Gulbarga Assembly constituency in the first week of September, the police have ordered an inquiry now.

u00a0Hanumanthraya, who was threatened by Aravind Limbavali has filed a complaint with the Superintendent of Police SP BA Padmanayana, who in turn forwarded the same to the DG&IGP. The Election Commission is also aware of this incident, sources said.

Limbavali, who lost his ministership during the cabinet expansion, was holding the Higher Education Minister portfolio, had allegedly threatened the inspector on phone. The call was made because the inspector had taken action against Gopal Reddy, a BJP corporator, for violating excise rules. Sources said that Reddy had opened a liquor shop when there was ban on selling liquor as per the model code of conduct during elections.
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When the inspector explained, Limbavali reportedly told him that there were four ministers from the same district in the present government. Hanumanthraya, in his complaint said that he tried to convince the minister about the code, but the minister used filthy language and threatened that the inspector would face the heat.
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A senior office said that the department will investigate the case and that it would be now easy to investigate, as Limbavali is not in power now. Inspector General of police Ajai Kumar Singh refused to comment, and Limbavali was not reachable.