edited by: Revathi Hariharan
Last Update: March 04, 2023, 09:55 IST
Prashant had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 80 lakh in connection with a tender process and was caught accepting Rs 40 lakh in his office. (News18 photo)
There has been a political storm after BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa’s son Prashant Kumar was arrested for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 40 lakh.
Shocking pictures of officials counting piles of cash ahead of the assembly elections in the state have spelled trouble for the BJP in Karnataka. Lokayukta officials on Thursday arrested Prashant Kumar, son of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa, red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 40 lakh. What does the arrest mean for the party and who are Madal Virupakshappa and his sons? Here we know.
BJP Channagiri MLA Mandal Virupakshappa
Two-time MLA Virupakshappa started his political career with the Congress.
He joined the BJP before the 2004 assembly elections, but it was not until 2008 that he first emerged victorious for the BJP.
Virupakshappa later followed BS Yediyurappa and joined his Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) party. After failing to secure a seat in the 2014 elections, he returned to the BJP along with Yeddyurappa and won the Channagiri seat in 2018 on a BJP ticket.
Virupakshappa reportedly has three sons Madal Mallikarjuna, Prashanth Madal and Raju Madal.
After battling heart-related disorders, Virupakshappa had decided to field his son Madal Mallikarjuna from the constituency as a BJP candidate in the upcoming assembly elections. Mallikarjuna is also a member of the Davangere University Syndicate. He has reportedly addressed public grievances in the constituency on behalf of his father and has identified himself as his father’s successor.
Virupakshappa is also the chairman of the state-owned Karnataka Soap and Detergent Limited (KSDL), which manufactures the famous soap brand ‘Mysore Sandal Soap’.
He resigned from the post following the arrest of his son Prashant alleging that a conspiracy was being hatched against him and his family.
In the FIR that has been registered, Virupakshappa is accused number one and his son is the second accused.
Prashant Kumar caught red handed
Kumar worked as the Chief Accountant of the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). Prashant Kumar, a 2008-batch Karnataka Administrative Service officer, was allegedly caught accepting bribe from a contractor for procuring raw material required for manufacturing soaps and other detergents.
At least Rs 8 crore was recovered from Kumar’s residence during the raid by Lokayukta officials.
Prashant had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 80 lakh in connection with a tender process and was caught accepting Rs 40 lakh in his office. According to Lokayukta sources, Prashant was allegedly receiving the ‘first installment’ of the bribe on behalf of his father.
Karnataka Lokayukta Justice (Retd) BS Patil today said that a total of Rs 2.02 crore was recovered from the KSDL office and Rs 6.1 crore from Prashant’s house during the searches.
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