BENGALURU: The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday granted interim anticipatory bail to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former chairperson of Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited Veerupakshappa Madal, who is accused no. 1 in the Lokayukta trapping of his son Prashanth Madal on last Thursday. Veerupakshappa Madal is the MLA representing Channagiri Assembly seat in Davangere.
The designated judge in the High Court for cases arising from the Special Court for cases involving MPs/MLAs, K. Natarajan, directed Veerupakshappa Madal to furnish bail bond of Rs 5 lakh with surety and also appear before the Investigating Officer within 48 hours of the receipt of order copy.
The BJP MLA is accused 1 in the Lokayukta trapping case where his son Prashanth Madal, the Chief Accountant of Bangalore Water Supplies and Sewage Board (BWSSB) was tapped red-handed by the sleuths of Lokayukta on Thursday. Prashanth Madal is accused of accepting a bribe of Rs 40 lakh from a contractor on behalf of his father over raw materials procurement tender. It is said there was a demand of Rs 81 lakh bribe.
Veerupakshappa Madal resigned as chairperson of Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited a day after Lokayukta trapped his son.
Over the delay in the arrest of BJP MLA, Congress party leaders in particular former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah questioned the functioning of the police department in the State and alleged that “Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai might have plans to get anticipatory bail for the accused BJP MLA and avert him from going to jail”
Referring to the arrest of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and accusing BJP of double standards, Siddaramaiah pointed out a cash of Rs 10,000 was recovered from Sisodia and he was taken into custody by sleuths of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) but son of BJP MLA Veerupakshappa Madal has been sent directly to judicial custody with police seeking his custody for questioning in the bribery case.
