Dharwad: The Bengaluru CCB Police who had come to arrest Journalist Ravi Belagere, who has been facing a jail term and Rs. 10,000 fine imposed by the privileges committee of the assembly, have returned to the capital bare hands, unable to arrest him.

The team of police who had decended on Dharwad on Saturday and waited for hours to get clearance from the private hospital where he was resting complaining chest pain, returned on Sunday. Ravi was admitted to the hospital at around 3 am in Dharwad on Saturday, after he complained of chest pain.

The Assembly, earlier this week, had adopted recommendations made by the committee, sentencing Belagere and ‘Yelahanka Voice’ editor Anil Raj to one-year imprisonment with a fine of Rs 10,000 for breach of privilege. The Speaker had written to the Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP) to take action. The DG&IGP, in turn, had asked Bengaluru City police commissioner to secure Belagere.

On knowing about his whereabouts the Police visited a farmhouse in Joida taluk of Uttara Kannada district, and secured him. When the latter complained of illness, he was taken to a private hospital in Dharwad, it is said.

Belagere who spoke to media alleged that the government was suppressing freedom of speech and expression. The decision of the government would be challenged in the high court and also in the Supreme Court, if necessary, he said.