Karnataka Lokayukta moves SC challenging bail to corruption-accused BJP MLA

Blurb: The Karnataka High Court had, on March 7, granted interim bail to BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa after he was accused of accepting a Rs 40 lakh bribe in awarding tenders.
Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court of India
Written by:

The Karnataka Lokayukta moved the Supreme Court on Tuesday, March 14, challenging an order of the Karnataka High Court granting interim anticipatory bail to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Madal Virupakshappa in a corruption case. The matter was mentioned before Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Aravind Kumar and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, which asked what was the urgency in a plea seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail. The bench further said that the matter would be listed as soon as possible but no date was mentioned.

The High Court order that has been challenged was passed by Justice K Natarajan on March 7, granting bail to the MLA while asking him to cooperate with the investigation into the corruption charges against him. Madal Virupakshappa had moved the High Court after the police caught his son Prashanth Madal accepting a Rs 40 lakh bribe on his father’s behalf.

On March 4, a special court in Bengaluru had remanded five people, including Prashanth Madal to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with the case. Prashanth is the Joint Controller of the State Accounts Department and was the Chief Accountant in the Bengaluru Jal Board. The MLA's son was allegedly caught by the Lokayukta Police taking a bribe of Rs 40 lakh to award a contract to supply chemicals to the Karnataka Soap and Detergent Factory (KSDL), of which Virupakshappa was the chairman.

The complaint was filed by one Shreyas Kashyap, who owns a partnership company called Chemicals Corporation in Bengaluru. Kashyap had participated in a tender process in January to supply chemical oil to KSDL. In his complaint, he alleged that the MLA and his son demanded a bribe of Rs 81 lakh to release the tender mandate.

A case was registered against Prashanth and Virupakshappa under Section 7(a) (taking advantage to influence public servants by corrupt or illegal means) 7(b) (obtains gratification by deceiving people) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Prashanth and four others were arrested on bribery charges.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The News Minute
www.thenewsminute.com