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

The Karnataka Lokayukta on Thursday raided a sitting BJP MLA's office and recovered ₹40 lakh cash, alleged to be bribe money.

Published on: Mar 3, 2023, 10:22:32 IST

By Yamini C S

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In a shocking discovery, the Karnataka Lokayukta found ₹40 lakh cash at BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa's office on Bengaluru's Crescent Road on Thursday, alleged to be bribe money. The anti-corruption wing of the Lokayukta raided Madal's office and caught his son, Prashanth Madal, who is a KAS officer, red-handed while he was taking the bribe from a contractor for a project.

Lokayukta officials counting hordes of cash in ₹2000 and ₹500 denominations at Madal's office on Thursday.

READ | Hijab row to ‘40% commission’: The political faultlines in Karnataka ’22

Prashanth works as a chief accountant in the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). His father, Madal Virupakshappa, is a sitting MLA from the Channagiri constituency in Davanagere district. He is also the chairman of Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited.

Prashanth had allegedly demanded the bribe to close a tender for the BWSSB which is worth ₹80 lakh, according to reports. The Lokayukta acted on a complaint over the demand for a bribe. An official source from the Lokayukta said more than ₹1.7 crore cash was found at Madal's office.

READ | ‘Most corrupt govt’: Contractors' body accuses BJP minister of taking bribes

A video of the Lokayukta counting the cash recovered at his office is going viral on social media sites.

The discovery led to an uproar in the opposition, as the Karnataka Congress furthered their “40 per cent commission” attack on the Basavaraj Bommai-led government, implying corruption charges, ahead of the crucial upcoming assembly polls in the southern state.

Alleging that the BJP is collecting funds for the election, the Karnataka Congress on Twitter questioned if CM Bommai will give in his resignation.

Further investigation is on and more details are awaited.

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

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