BJP members make noise over Cong MLA who slapped cop

Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar, who disappeared from public view after he allegedly assaulted police constable Kiran Kumar at a pub on July 1, filed an anticipatory bail petition before a lower court through his lawyer on Friday.

Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar, who disappeared from public view after he allegedly assaulted police constable Kiran Kumar at a pub on July 1, filed an anticipatory bail petition before a lower court through his lawyer on Friday.

His accomplice Somashekhara Gowda, an underworld don and Youth Congress leader, was expelled from the party for six years.

A senior police officer told HT that Kashappanavar’s whereabouts were unknown even as city police commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar said, “Just because he is not available doesn’t mean he is absconding.”

Latching onto the first major controversy since the Congress took power, BJP members raised an uproar in both Houses of the State Legislature on Friday accusing the government of shielding Kashappanavar and demanding his immediate arrest. Both houses were adjourned until Monday.

Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Jagdish Shettar said that the ruling party engineered the adjournments so as to give Kashappanavar a chance to seek bail. Chief minister Siddaramaiah said, “A case was registered the same night without any delay. Those demanding his arrest are just politically motivated and do not know the law.”