BENGALURU: Karnataka Lokayukta officials seized Rs 8.12 crore unaccounted cash from the office and residence of BJP MLA K Madal Virupakshappa’s son Prashanth Madal in Bengaluru. While Prashanth, who was arrested on Thursday, has been remanded in judicial custody, the BJP lawmaker is on the run since Friday morning. Prashanth was arrested while accepting a bribe of Rs 40 lakh.
The seized cash of Rs 8.12 crore is said to be the highest in a single case in the history of Karnataka Lokayukta. The police are now on the hunt for Virupakshappa, who is the prime accused in the case. The MLA earlier resigned from the post of chairman of Karnataka Soaps & Detergents Limited (KSDL).
The Lokayukta police registered an FIR against Madal, who represents the Channagiri Assembly constituency in Davanagere, and his son after Shreyas Kashyap, who runs Chemixil Corporation, lodged a complaint that the father-son duo was demanding Rs 81 lakh from him and TAS Murthy, who runs MS Delicia Chemicals.
It is alleged that the bribe was for awarding a tender for supplying a chemical oil to KSDL, issuing purchase orders and seamlessly releasing the bill amount for the chemical supplied. Prashanth, who is the chief accountant of Bangalore Water Supply & Sewerage Board (BWSSB), and four others, who were arrested on Thursday, were produced before a magistrate who remanded them in judicial custody for 14 days.
“The police officers had seized Rs 2.02 crore unaccounted money from Prashanth’s private office on Crescent Road on Thursday night. Simultaneously, his residence was also searched where Rs 6.10 crore unaccounted money was found,” Lokayukta Justice BS Patil told reporters.
When asked whether the MLA will be questioned, Justice Patil said, “It is not appropriate to divulge details as the investigations are underway. The police wing will decide on that.” Accountant Surendra and three others have also been arrested.
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