Karnataka BJP MLA Facing Corruption Charges Appears Before Lokayukta Cops

In the eye of storm, BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa, who is an accused in a bribe case deposed before the Lokayukta police here on Thursday.

Flanked by a lawyer and policemen, the MLA from the Channagiri constituency in Davangere reached the Lokayukta office.

According to Lokayukta sources, Deputy Superintendent of Police Antony John J K, who has been appointed as the investigation officer, is interrogating the MLA.

Virupakshappa, who resigned as the Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) chairman, is accused of collecting bribes through his son from contractors supplying raw materials for the KSDL.

The Lokayukta sleuths had arrested Virupakshappa's son Prashanth Kumar M V from the KSDL office on March 2 while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 40 lakh from a contractor.

Prashanth Kumar is the chief accounts officer of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board.

Further searches led to the recovery of Rs 8.23 crore from the KSDL office and the MLA's house.

The interrogation will revolve around the cash haul in the KSDL office and MLA's house.

Accepting that the huge cache of money found in his house belonged to his family, the BJP MLA, who got anticipatory bail on Tuesday told reporters, "Our Taluk is known as the land of arecanut (supari). An ordinary farmer in our arecanut land has Rs five to six crore at home. I have 125 acres arecanut farm, arecanut market, and I have many other businesses as well. I will furnish the appropriate documents to the Lokayukta and get back my money."

According to the Lokayukta sources, a huge quantity of gold, and silver ornaments was found in the MLA's house besides a large investment in land.

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