Alleged human trafficker Manjunath alias ‘Santro’ Ravi has been admitted to the Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru with low blood-sugar levels, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) sources said on Friday, 27 January. He is stable.
Unconfirmed reports, however, said he attempted suicide by consuming an overdose of drugs for diabetes on 26 January. He was immediately shifted to Victoria Hospital to avoid allegations of custodial torture.
A senior CID officer dispelled the rumour of the suicide bid.
“His sugar levels have been fluctuating a bit since yesterday (Thursday) and we shifted him to Victoria Hospital where he is fine now. There is no substance in the rumour,” Superintendent of Police (CID), Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Raghavendra K Hegde told South First
Ravi, who was arrested from Ahmedabad in Gujarat on 13 January, was brought to Mysuru the next day and remanded in CID custody for 14 days.
Ravi to be produced in court on Monday
“He will be produced before a magistrate on Monday, 30 January. Ravi is under the custody of DySP Narasimhamurthy of the CID’s FIU,” sources said.
The CID officers were interrogating Ravi based on a complaint filed by his estranged wife who accused him of sexual assault, physical violence, and forcing her into prostitution.
The woman, a Dalit, also accused Ravi of dowry harassment and foisting a false case of robbery against her and her sister in connivance with a few police officers attached to the Cottonpete police station in Bengaluru.
Ravi went on the run after the case was registered on 2 January.
Related: Who is Santro Ravi?
Fresh complaint
On 21 January, Ravi’s estranged wife and her sister filed a fresh complaint seeking legal action against him and seven other police officers for falsely implicating them in the robbery case.
The women told the Karnataka state police chief, DG-IGP Praveen Sood, and the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission, that they were imprisoned for 23 days in the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison for a crime they had not committed.
CID sources said the latest development might have affected Ravi.
