Bengaluru: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the corruption case in the Lokayukta arrested V. Bhaskar alias Nivarana Bhaskar alias 420 Bhaskar, aged 43, near Le Meridien Hotel in the city on Wednesday afternoon .
Bhaskar was on the run since July 1 when the first FIR was filed in the case. “Bhaskar was picked up near Le Meridien Hotel based on credible information obtained by one of the six teams of the SIT that were closely tracking Bhaskar’s movements,” Mr Kamal Pant, chief of SIT, told Deccan Chronicle.
A senior official said that the SIT got information that Bhaskar was arriving near the hotel and arrested him. With this, the total number of arrests made by the SIT in the two cases of corruption (Crime No. 56 and Crime No. 58) has gone up to six. The Lokayukta police had registered the cases based on complaints filed by Mr M.N. Krishnamurthy, a PWD Executive Engineer, and Mr P.B. Channabasappa, an executive engineer involved with the Upper Tunga irrigation project in Haveri district.
Bhaskar’s lawyers had told him to stay out of the city and to regularly track the developments in the case through TV channels and newspapers to evade arrest. “He was using different phones to get in touch with his confidants and kept his mobile phone switched off to escape detection. He is one of the prime accused in both cases and we are yet to interrogate him,” said Mr Pant. 420 Bhaskar’s arrest will help SIT beef up its case in the extortion racket, as he is considered to be a close aide of Ashwin Y., son of Lokayukta Y. Bhaskar Rao. The SIT will likely carry out more arrests based on the information given by him during interrogation, a police officer said.
420 Bhaskar claimed to be an RTI activist and a self-styled journalist, but was in fact an extortionist. He regularly made rounds of BBMP offices, threatening officials that he would file RTI applications against them and extorted money. The harassed BBMP officials had filed a case against him at the Ulsoorg ate Police station and got him arrested. He had also posed as a journalist working with a media company called IBC for some time and used to frequent the Bangalore Press Club.
Riaz’s police custody extended till August 14
The police custody of the suspended Lokayukta PRO Syed Riyazathullah ended on Wednesday and he was produced before the Lokayukta Special Court, which extended his police custody for nine more days until August 14.
High drama enfolded at the court when Riyaz was produced before the magistrate court on Wednesday noon. He turned emotional accusing the SIT officials of ill-treatment while in their custody and pleaded the judge that he be granted bail on health grounds. He also told that he allowed Ashwin Rao into the office since he was the son of the Lokayukta and there was no proof against him that he had taken the extorted money and asked the court to grant him bail.
Syed Riyazathullah
Riyaz accused the SIT officials of taking away his diary and not allowing him to eat or sleep properly. He accused the SIT of not allowing him to have home food and not taking him to hospital for treatment. He also told the court that he was treated like a terrorist in custody.
Riyaz’s advocate claimed that he was innocent and all allegations against him were false and added that the SIT has no proof against him. Denying allegation put forth by Riyaz’s counsel, the counsel for SIT pointed out that he was provided home food whenever he had asked for and was taken to a hospital of his choice whenever he needed treatment.
The SIT counsel also argued that they have enough evidence against Riyaz and he was the kingpin in the alleged scam. He also accused Riyaz of destroying evidence and contended that if granted bail he may destroy more evidence. He then urged the court not to grant him bail and the court later extended his police custody.
Hearings adjourned
The bail plea hearings of the other accused - Ashok Kumar, the realtor, Shankare Gowda, the RTI activist, and Srinivas Gowda, a TV journalist were also heard on Wednesday and the court adjourned the case to August 14 for orders. Ashwin Rao’s anticipatory bail plea hearing will be heard on Thursday.
