Halappa to be shifted to B'lore for treatment

Shimoga: A court here on Thursday permitted authorities to shift former Karnataka minister Halappa, arrested on charge of rape, from the McGann district

hospital to the state-run Victoria Hospital in Bangalore for further treatment.

Halappa was hospitalised within hours of his arrest last week after he complained of chest pain.

Judicial Magistrate Ravikanth permitted authorities to shift Halappa to Victoria hospital as per the advice of McGann hospital's medical superintendent, Mahendrappa.

Halappa was arrested on May 9 following a complaint by Chandravathi, wife of financier and his friend Venkatesh Murthy, that he had raped her.

Halappa quit the ministry after the rape charge surfaced but has denied the allegation saying it was a political conspiracy.