BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa's Pre-Arrest Bail Rejected, Likely To Be Arrested

On March 7, the High Court granted interim bail to BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa, accused A1 in connection with the KSDL tender process bribery case

Karnataka High Court.

BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa's anticipatory bail application is rejected and the BJP leader is likely to be arrested. The single-judge bench of Karnataka High Court on Monday dismissed the bail application after a lawyer for the Lokayukta raised a strong objection to the bail application during the hearing. 

On March 7, the High Court granted interim bail to BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa, accused A1 in connection with the KSDL tender process bribery case.

On March 7, the High Court had granted interim bail to BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa, accused A1 in connection with the KSDL tender process bribery case.

— ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2023

The BJP MLA's son Prashanth Madal, who is the chief accounts officer of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, was arrested by the Lokayutka police on March 2 while allegedly receiving a bribe of Rs 40 lakh on behalf of his father at the KSDL office.

Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Court sought the response of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa on a plea of the Karnataka Lokayukta challenging grant of anticipatory bail to him by the high court in the Karnataka Soaps and Detergents (KSDL) contract scam case, news agency PTI reported. A bench of justices Aniruddha Bose and Sudhanshu Dhulia issued the notice to the BJP legislator.

On March 14, the top court agreed to hear the Lokayukta's plea against the Karnataka high court order in the case.  A single-judge bench of the high court had granted anticipatory bail to the MLA after hearing his petition. Virupakashappa had resigned as chairperson of KSDL following his son's arrest.

While granting conditional bail, the high court directed the MLA to appear before the investigating officer in the case within 48 hours of receiving the order copy. The anticipatory bail was granted subject to a bond of Rs 5 lakh.

Virupakshappa was also reportedly directed not to tamper with the witness while on bail. The MLA's petition claimed that he had no role to play in the alleged bribery case and he has been falsely implicated in it.

The alleged scam relates to the supply of chemical to KSDL in which a bribe of Rs 81 lakh was allegedly demanded. His son was allegedly caught while receiving Rs 40 lakh of this bribe on his behalf.

Following the arrest of Prashanth Madal, the Lokayukta police had conducted further search operations in the home and offices of the Madals and recovered over Rs 8.23 crore in cash