Karnataka BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa gets bail on health grounds in corruption case

“So considering the age of petitioner/ accused No.1 and the disease, which he is suffering from, I am of the opinion that it is just and proper to release him on bail,” the special court said.

“The contention of the prosecution that, if the accused is released on bail, he may abscond, he may tamper the prosecution witnesses and he may hamper the investigation and he has not cooperated during police custody for a fair investigation, etc., could be met with by imposing stringent conditions,” the court said.

The court stated that Madal’s “bail application cannot be rejected, as the police have not seized any amount from his hand and he was not trapped, and the allegation of the prosecution is that the accused No.2 has received a bribe of Rs.40 lakhs at the instruction of accused No.1,” the special court said.

The court indicated that much of the investigation was bound to have been completed and hence the apprehension of tampering evidence is not valid.

“The prosecution has also produced the statement of Dr Mahesh M, managing director of KSDL, which prima facie shows the involvement of accused No.1 and interference of accused No.2 in the tender process of KSDL. In spite of that, keeping the accused No.1 in the custody for a long period, no purpose would be served to the prosecution and it is for the prosecution to investigate the source of Rs.6,10,30,000/- (found at Madal’s home)” the court said.

Madal Virupakshappa was ordered to be enlarged on bail on his execution of a personal bond for a sum of Rs 5 lakh only and has been asked to mark his attendance before the Lokayukta Police once in three weeks.

On March 27, the Karnataka High Court had dismissed the bail plea of the BJP MLA after the Lokayukta police produced material to show the direct involvement of the BJP MLA in the bribery and corruption at the state-run Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited, which he headed till the arrest of his son on March 2 for collecting bribes for giving KSDL contracts.

A businessman, Shreyas Kashyap, who is a partner in a firm called Chemixil Corporation, told the Lokayukta police in February this year that he was asked by the KSDL chairman Madal Virupkashappa to pay a bribe of Rs 1.2 crore to be cleared for a contract to supply 5100 kg of Guaiacwood oil, and 29,520 kg of Abbalide, as raw materials to KSDL.

The businessman struck a deal for payment of a bribe of Rs 81 lakh for the award of supply contracts to two firms – Chemixil Corporation and Delicia Chemicals, with an initial payment of Rs 40 lakh to the son of the KSDL chairman.

The negotiations for the bribe payments with the MLA’s son were reportedly recorded on a smartwatch camera by the businessman to prove that it was a genuine case of corruption.

The Lokayukta police laid a trap on the basis of the businessman’s complaint and the KSDL chairman’s son Prashant Madal – who is a Karnataka Administrative Services official and the chief accounts officer of the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board – was caught red-handed by the police on March 2 while accepting an initial bribe amount of Rs 40 lakh.

A total amount of Rs 2.02 crore of bribes from the KSDL suppliers was found in the possession of the son of the BJP MLA when he was caught at his private office in central Bengaluru, while an amount of Rs 6.10 crore was seized from the residence of the BJP MLA and KSDL chairman Madal Virupakshappa, who is a close associate of former Karnataka BJP chief minister B S Yediyurappa.

The Lokayukta police have accused officials of a firm, identified as Karnataka Aromas Ltd, of paying bribes to the tune of Rs 90 to be given supply contracts by the KSDL.

The BJP has not given Madal Virupakshappa or any of his family members a party ticket to contest the May 10 Karnataka polls from the family’s Channagiri constituency in central Karnataka.