Senior Karnataka Congress leader Siddaramaiah, who had been protesting for the arrest of a BJP MLA involved in a bribery case, has been arrested.
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Virupakshappa is the BJP MLA from Chennagiri constituency in Karnataka. His son Prashant is the Chairman of the Board of Mysore Soap Company, Karnataka. A multi-crore tender was recently invited for procurement of chemicals for the soap and detergent industry in Karnataka. Prashant asked someone for a bribe of 81 lakh rupees to award the tender. The person who came to take the tender has offered to pay 40 lakh rupees in the first phase.
In this regard, son Prashant received bribe money from Virupakshappa’s office on Bangalore Crescent Road. Immediately after the Lokayukta was informed, the officials who went there seized Rs 40 lakh in cash from the BJP MLA’s office. While Prashant had written down the details of the people to be bribed on a piece of paper, he put it in his mouth and tried to swallow it when he saw the officials coming. Acting swiftly, the authorities seized the paper and conducted an investigation.
After arresting Prashant, the Lok Ayukta police conducted raids at his office and house. Of this, the Lok Ayukta officials seized Rs 7 crore 70 lakhs in cash. A total of eight crore rupees has been confiscated. Police are also looking for MLA Virupakshappa in this connection.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Pomay has said that the investigation will be conducted without any political interference in this incident which has created a stir in Karnataka. In this case, Congress members including Siddaramaiah started a protest in Bengaluru demanding that BJP MLA Virupakshappa should be arrested in connection with the bribery complaint. Karnataka police brutally arrested Congress members including Siddaramaiah who were protesting by sitting on the road and took them in a cart.