Karnataka BJP MLA gets interim anticipatory bail in bribery case

BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa, the prime accused in a corruption case registered by the Karnataka Lokayukta, was granted interim anticipatory bail on Tuesday by the Karnataka High court on a bail bond of ₹5 lakh.

Published on: Mar 7, 2023, 16:26:11 IST

By Yamini C S

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa, the prime accused in a corruption case registered by the Karnataka Lokayukta, was granted interim anticipatory bail on Tuesday by the Karnataka High court on a bail bond of ₹5 lakh. This comes after the MLA's son, Prashanth Madal, was caught taking a bribe of ₹40 lakh during a Lokayukta raid on Thursday.

Madal Virupakshappa is a BJP MLA from the Channagiri constituency in Davanagere district.

Virupakshappa was granted the anticipatory bail with the condition that he has to appear before the investigation officer within 48 hours for questioning. He was further barred from entering the Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) office - where he was chairman - until further orders.

READ | Karnataka: Lokayukta catches BJP MLA's son with ₹40 lakh bribe money

After the initial discovery that Prashanth was accepting a bribe of ₹40 lakh as the first instalment of a Rs-81-lakh deal on behalf of his father, a sitting MLA from the Channagiri constituency in Davanagere district, further inspection led to the discovery of more than ₹2 crore from the office.

After several raids and searches at the various locations owned by the father-son duo, the Lokayukta found more than ₹6 crore unaccounted cash, gold and silver jewellery with ornaments, luxury cars, investment documents and evidence indicating that the MLA owned over 400 acres of land across Karnataka.

READ | Karnataka Congress holds protest demanding MLA's arrest after Lokayukta raid

In this light, the Karnataka Congress had staged a massive protest against the ruling BJP government on Saturday, demanding the arrest of the BJP MLA and the resignation of chief minister Basavaraj Bommai. Several leaders including former CM Siddaramaiah, Priyank Kharge and Randeep Singh Surjewala were detained by the police.

These developments come barely two months before the southern state is due for assembly elections.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!

Stay updated Bengaluru Weather Live and with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Bengaluru. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and more across India . Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.