Karnataka High Court quashes 2024 cash seizure case against BJP MP K Sudhakar

K Sudhakar claimed before the Karnataka High Court that he was falsely implicated and argued that the charge of bribery was not proven.

Sudhakar then approached the Karnataka High Court to quash the proceedings before the special court for MPs/MLAs, arguing that he had been falsely implicated in the case. (File)

The Karnataka High Court Tuesday quashed criminal proceedings against BJP MP K Sudhakar in connection with the seizure of Rs 4.8 crore in Madavara village a day before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the state. The full judgment by a bench of Justice M I Arun is yet to be released.

In this case, a static surveillance team member, Dasharath Kumbar, filed a complaint that on April 25, he received a message from Model Code of Conduct officer Munish Moudgil stating that Rs 10 crore had been kept in a particular place. Later, when an Election Commission raid was conducted at the home of a resident of Madavara village along with Income Tax officers, they found Rs 4.8 crore in cash which had allegedly been kept there for distribution to voters.

Moudgil also filed a complaint stating that he had received three messages and a WhatsApp call from a number purportedly belonging to Sudhakar, asking for the release of the seized cash. Based on the complaints, the Madanayakanahalli police registered a case under Indian Penal Code sections 171E (bribery), 171F (undue influence), 171B (bribery to exercise electoral right), 171C (undue influence at elections), as well as Section 123 of the Representation of People Act, which deals with corrupt practices.

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Sudhakar then approached the Karnataka High Court to quash the proceedings before the special court for MPs/MLAs, arguing that he had been falsely implicated in the case. He said bribery on his part was not established in the complaints. On June 30, the Karnataka High Court bench of Justice S R Krishna Kumar stayed the proceedings.

Sudhakar won the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Chikaballapur, defeating Congress candidate Raksha Ramaiah. He served as the minister of medical education and health in the BJP government in Karnataka between 2020 and 2023. His election to Lok Sabha came a year after he lost the Assembly polls from Chikaballapur to Congress candidate Pradeep Eshwar.

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