Suspended Congress MLA Roshan Baig's advocate filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday questioning the detention of his client in connection with IMA case.
Baig was detained at around 9 PM on Monday by the team at the International Airport in Devanahalli.
Confirming the detention, a senior officer from the SIT said, "Roshan Baig, MLA from Shivajinagar has been detained for questioning from the Kempegowda International Airport when he was about to take off in a private chartered aircraft. It will be verified if his sudden plan to leave Bengaluru has anything to do with the recent release of the video by Mansoor Khan."
The detention also took on a political hue when Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy took to Twitter, accusing the BJP of having a role in Baig's planned trip.
Sharing a flight manifest which listed Baig as travelling with one more passenger named Santosh, Kumaraswamy alleged that the second person was none other than BS Yeddyurappa's personal assistant.
"I was told that on seeing the SIT, Santosh ran away while the team apprehended Mr. Baig," Kumaraswamy said in his tweet.
Kumaraswamy, who faces an all-important trust vote on Thursday, went on to allege that BJP MLA Yogeshwar CP was also present when Baig was detained.
He also accused Karnataka BJP of helping a former minister escape, who is facing a probe in the IMA fraud case.
"BJP MLA Yogeshwar was present at the time there. It's a shame that BJP Karnataka is helping a former minister escape, who is facing a probe in the IMA case. This clearly shows BJP's direct involvement in destabilizing the government through horse trading," he said.
He charged the BJP with 'horse trading' and said that it was evident that they were involved in the political crisis that his government finds itself in.
Baig, who was suspended from Congress for anti-party activities, had said on July 8 that he would quit the party and join BJP.
A day later, he resigned from his membership in the state Legislative Assembly.
Meanwhile, BJP as a reply to the Chief Minister said that the chief minister is using the state machinery to save his government as Roshan Baig was given time till 19th July to appear before SIT.
The BJPs twitter handle said: “CM HD Kumaraswamy is using the state machinery to save his govt now. Mr. Roshan Baig was given time till 19th July to appear before SIT. This shows how the state Govt is blackmailing and treating their own MLAs’ using the institutions.”
(With ENS Inputs)