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Karnataka BJP MLA booked in graft case moves HC for anticipatorybail
The Channagiri MLA’s advocate approached the bench of justice K Natarajan seeking an urgent hearing of the petition. The court said it would hear it after listing on Tuesday.
Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Madal Virupakshappa moved an anticipatorybail petition in the high court on Monday seeking relief from the arrest in connection with the Lokayukta trap case.
The Channagiri MLA’s advocate approached the bench of justice K Natarajan seeking an urgent hearing of the petition. The court said it would hear it after listing on Tuesday.
The MLA is absconding since he was named prime accused in a corruption case where his son was caught taking a bribe on his behalf last Thursday.
According to officials, Karnataka Lokayukta will issue a lookout notice against the accused BJP MLA since he was not responding to the notice to appear before Lokayukta for questioning.
“The lookout notice will be issued just in case he tries to flee the country,” said an official.
On Thursday, Lokayukta officials arrested Prashanth Madal who was caught taking a bribe in his father’s office. In the raids that followed, they recovered ₹6.1 crore in cash from his Sanjaynagar residence and ₹2.2 crore from his office.
According to Karnataka Lokayukta BS Patil, a former Karnataka high court judge, the bribe was intended for the MLA who is also the chairman of Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Ltd (K&SDL). “He demanded ₹81 lakh bribe from a contractor for a deal for raw materials needed to manufacture soap and other detergents. On negotiation, the amount was reduced,” Patil claimed.
Virupakshappa has also approached a civil court in Bengaluru seeking an injunction against media houses from publishing defamatory news about him.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress on Sunday called for a two-hour Bandh on March 9 to protest against alleged corruption by the ruling BJP in the state.
While addressing the media, KPCC chief DK Shivakumar said: “To make this state corruption free and in our fight against this corruption, we are calling for a bandh in the state on March 9 from 9 am to 11 am.”
Shivakumar also said that the funds released for different departments at the fag end of the government would be monitored by Congress. “We shall investigate all funds’ allocations and release as this government would cease to exist post elections and concerned officials and contractors will go home,’’ he said.
Shivakumar told reporters on Monday that contractors were being allotted work by collecting advances. Claims of thousands of crores by some power companies, too, were false. “We are tracking all departments and release of funds as the model code of conduct for Assembly election will soon come into effect, and this government would be ousted in 50 days,” he said.
Responding to the Congress, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said that people won’t respond to this call as it doesn’t have any value.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, CM Bommai said, “The scams done by the Congress party are not one or two. The time has come for that party to become extinct. Those leaders have called for a bandh, thinking they can write their political future through protests and bandh, but no one will support it.”
He added, “People who make allegations must be clean-handed, only then will it have some value. But the Congress leaders have indulged in corruption, starting from small items like pillows, mattresses, coffee, and biscuits to irrigation. During the Congress regime, the then CM Siddaramaiah had given the target for all the ministers. Ask MB Patil, HC Mahadevappa or KJ George regarding the target given to them. The Congress party is filled with corruption, and their games will not be entertained. The people will decide in the election arena.”
