Karnataka Congress MLA Says, Ruling BJP Supporting MLA Madal Virupakshappa

Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy claimed that the BJP government is corrupt

Days after BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa was granted pre-arrest conditional bail from Karnataka High Court in a bribery case, Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy alleged that the ruling BJP government in Karnataka is supporting him. "Without government's support, how can someone get bail?" he questioned.

The Congress MLA claimed that the BJP government is corrupt. "MLA will not be suspended because it's BJP culture. The entire government is corrupt," he said.

Advocates' Association Wants Quick Posting Of Virupakshappa's Bail Plea

The Advocates' Association, Bengaluru, has expressed concern over quick posting of the interim anticipatory bail application of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa, facing charges of collecting bribe through his son Prashanth Kumar MV.

The MLA, who resigned as the chairperson of the Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), was granted anticipatory bail by the High Court on Tuesday.

The Lokayukta has named Virupakshappa as the accused number one after his son Prashanth, who is chief accounts officer in the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage, was caught red-handed while allegedly receiving a bribe of Rs 40 lakh last Thursday.

Subsequent raids led to the recovery of Rs 8.23 crore cash, besides discovery of gold ornaments, silver and land investment details.

In a letter to the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, the association led by its president Vivek Subba Reddy and general secretary T G Ravi also highlighted that justice should be equal to all.

"The usual practice in the High Court of Karnataka is that new matters like anticipatory bail take several days and weeks for posting but, however, VIP matters are entertained overnight," the association said in their letter.

Stating that this practice would lead to the common man losing faith in the judicial system, the association pointed out that an MLA should also be treated as a common man.

The association also appealed to the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court to direct the registry to post all the anticipatory bail matters in one day, "so that the common man is treated as a VIP." "It is essential that the temple of justice should be equal to all and any VIP must have to wait just as the common man and in this regard, the Advocates' Association, Bengaluru expresses serious shock and concern over the matter," the lawyers' body said.

(With PTI inputs)