BJP MLA Virupakshappa approaches High Court for anticipatory bail in bribery case
06-03-2023 ¦ 06-03-2023 IST
Bengaluru (PTI): BJP MLA Madal Virupaksappa, accused in a bribery case, approached the Karnataka High Court on Monday seeking anticipatory bail.
The counsel for the Channagiri MLA applied to a bench of Justice K Natarajan for an urgent hearing of the petition. The court said that the hearing will be held after registration on Tuesday.
In an alleged cash-for-contract scam, the Lokayukta recovered over Rs eight crore from the MLA’s son V Prashant Madal last week. The Lokayukta registered an FIR in the alleged bribery case, in which Viruppakappa was named accused number one.
Unaccounted cash was recovered from the offices of Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Ltd, of which Veerupaksappa was chairman, in a trap in the Lokayukta where his son was caught for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 40 lakh. He later resigned as MLA.
Further searches led to the recovery of around Rs 2 crore from the KSDL office and over Rs 6 crore from Prashant’s house A total of Rs 8.23 crore in cash, huge amount of gold and silver ornaments and large investments in land in various parts of Karnataka were allegedly unearthed, Lokayukta sources said.
Virupaksappa has also sought an injunction against media houses for publishing defamatory stories about him in a civil court in Bengaluru.
Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Monday slammed the BJP government over the bribery case.
“Day 4 of #MysoreSandalsoapBribGate! BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa is still missing. If Bombay govt can’t arrest even one absconding MLA, how will law and order deal with criminals in #Karnataka? More information about Bribery Gate will be released soon. HM & Chief Minister will resign! Congress leader tweeted.
He wanted to know if anyone else is involved in the scam. “Did Prashant Madal S/O BJP MLA eat a paper when he was arrested on March 3? Was the name of Jathish Chandra IPS, DCP Crime Branch written on the slip? Did the two politicians’ children’s names on the slip? Who was taking the money?”, Surjewala asked.
