BENGALURU: Channagiri BJP MLA K Madal Virupakshappa, who is on the run after the Lokayukta police filed an FIR against him in a corruption case, has filed two petitions before the Karnataka HC -- one to quash the FIR and another for anticipatory bail.
The Lokayukta police registered an FIR against Virupakshappa on March 2, 2023, based on a complaint filed by Shreyas Kashyap. He is absconding after his son Prashanth Madal was trapped while accepting a bribe.
In his petition, Virupakshappa contended that the averments made in the complaint did not disclose the commission of any offences by him. The only object of filing the complaint is to harass him, he claimed.
In another petition, he appealed to the court to grant him anticipatory bail and direct the Lokayukta police to enlarge him on bail in the event of his arrest. Both petitions are likely to come up for hearing in a day or two.
He contended that despite there being no set of facts so as to constitute the commission of offences and that in the absence of no specific demand or acceptance by him, the lodging of a complaint and registering of FIR against him and continuation of the proceedings pursuant thereto, would amount to gross abuse of the process of court and of law.
The public servant concerned himself should have demanded and accepted the bribe money or attempted to get any undue advantage in order to perform a public duty, in order to register FIR under Section 7(a) and (b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. In this case, there is no such allegation against him and he was not even the person who was trapped pursuant to the registration of FIR.
Virupakshappa stated the tender calling authority of KSDL is the additional general manager. The allotment and acceptance of the purchase order have been done by him in favour of the complainant. The petitioner is nowhere connected to the issuance of the alleged tender in favour of the complainant.