BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj summoned for questioning in Bengaluru rowdy-sheeter murder case

Karnataka High Court orders BJP's Byrathi Basavaraj to appear for questioning in murder case of rowdy-sheeter Shivaprakash.

The Karnataka High Court on Friday directed BJP legislator Byrathi Basavaraj to present himself for questioning in connection with the recent murder of a known rowdy-sheeter in Bengaluru. Basavaraj has been ordered to appear before investigating authorities on July 19, with the inquiry to be conducted in accordance with Section 35 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), news agency PTI reported.

Karnataka High Court (Wikimedia Commons) (HT_PRINT)

The case pertains to the killing of Shivaprakash, also known as Biklu Shivu, who was brutally attacked and murdered in the Bharathi Nagar area on Tuesday night.

Basavaraj, who has been listed as the fifth accused in the First Information Report (FIR), has filed a plea seeking to quash the FIR, claiming it is baseless and motivated.

In her statement, the victim's mother, Vijayalakshmi, alleged that she did not name Basavaraj in her original complaint. She has accused the police of including his name without her consent, casting doubts over the integrity of the FIR, as reported by PTI.

During Friday’s hearing, a Special Public Prosecutor argued that Basavaraj may have influenced the complainant shortly after the murder, possibly in an attempt to manipulate the judicial process and obtain protective relief.

The court, however, granted interim protection to the MLA, preventing his arrest until Monday. Basavaraj is being represented by senior advocate Sandesh J. Chouta, who also contested the legality of the police notice summoning him for questioning.

Shivaprakash, a known history-sheeter, was killed by a group of assailants in front of his home on Tuesday. He had an extensive criminal background, with as many as 11 cases lodged against him and a rowdy sheet opened back in 2006.

(With inputs from PTI)