Karnataka ‘Bribegate’: BJP MLA grilled for 5 hours by anti-corruption body, summoned again
Mangalore Today News Network / News18
Bengaluru, Mar 10, 2023: Days after his son was caught taking a Rs 40 lakh bribe, tainted BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa was grilled by the anti-corruption body for five hours in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Flanked by a lawyer and policemen, the MLA from Channagiri constituency in Davangere deposed before the Lokayukta police in a bribe case. The interrogation revolved around the cash haul in KSDL office and MLA’s house.
The Lokayukta has issued yet another notice to the tainted MLA in the bribery case and has summoned him to appear before them today.
The MLA said he would continue to cooperate with the investigation against him and his son and would appear before the Lokayukta whenever they summon him. The Lokayukta has registered an FIR in the alleged bribery case, in which Virupakshappa was named accused number one.
Virupakshappa, who resigned as the Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) chairman, is accused of collecting bribes through his son from contractors supplying raw materials for KSDL.
Major Cash Haul
On March 2, Lokayukta officials arrested Virupakshappa’s son Prashanth Kumar MV from the KSDL office while he was allegedly accepting a bribe from a contractor. Prashanth Kumar is the chief accounts officer of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board.
Lokayukta officials had earlier seized over Rs 8 crore from the residence and offices belonging to the father-son duo. The MLA and his son have been in the eye of the storm during a fiery election season in the state.
The BJP MLA, who got anticipatory bail on Tuesday told reporters that he would furnish appropriate documents to the Lokayukta and get his money back." According to Lokayukta sources, huge quantities of gold, silver ornaments were also found in the MLA’s house besides large investments in land.
‘Bribegate’ Politics
Meanwhile, politics continue over the alleged bribegate that has spelled trouble for the ruling BJP government. While election campaigning heats up, the opposition parties have targeted the BJP over the corruption allegations and called for Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to resign.
Bommai assured that no one would be spared because of their post and that justice would be delivered.
Recently, Congress state working president Ramalinga Reddy alleged that the government was involved in granting the MLA bail in one day. He also alleged that when opposition leaders get caught, they do not get bail for two to three months. In such circumstances, the government lawyers argue against bail.
Other top Congress leaders including party president Mallikarjun Kharge have claimed that the “corrupt face of the BJP is now exposed.”
Congress maintains that in the last four years ever since the BJP came to power in Karnataka, various scams came to light. Prominent among them were the PSI recruitment scam, lecturer recruitment scam.