Winnipeg mayoral candidate Venkat Machiraju arrested for violating protection order, manager says
Campaign manager says Machiraju, suffering stroke effects, accidentally phoned person who applied for order
One of Winnipeg's eight mayoral candidates was arrested this week for violating the terms of a protection order.
Venkat Machiraju, who has called on two other candidates to withdraw from the mayoral race, was arrested Tuesday, said his campaign manager, Govind Thawani.
Machiraju accidentally dialed a phone number belonging to the person who applied for the protection order, said Thawani, who alleged the incident took place months ago, after the mayoral candidate had a stroke and started suffering from dexterity issues.
"A pocket dial is what it amounted to," Thawani said Wednesday in a telephone interview, claiming the violation took place in June. "It wasn't a lengthy conversation. It was seconds. He just hung up."
Thawani said he found the timing of the arrest suspicious, given that it occurred the same day Machiraju called on Brian Bowman to resign.
Machiraju asked the incumbent candidate to quit the mayoral race on Tuesday and then asked challenger Jenny Motkaluk to do the same on Wednesday.
"This happened in June and he's getting [arrested] in October for a pocket dial," Thawani said.
Machiraju is slated to appear before a judge on Nov. 7, two weeks after election day, Thawani said.
Thawani said Machiraju has been planning to run for mayor for three years and followed through on that plan despite his stroke.