The BJP MLA is accused of taking bribe from the contractors who supply raw material through his son.
Bengaluru:
BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa, accused of bribery, deposed before the Lokayukta police here on Thursday.
The MLA from Davanagere’s Channagiri constituency reached the Lokayukta office accompanied by a lawyer and policemen.
According to Lokayukta sources, Deputy Superintendent of Police Antony John, who has been appointed as the investigating officer, is questioning the JK MLA.
Virupakshappa, who resigned as the chairman of Karnataka Soap and Detergent Limited (KSDL), is accused of receiving kickbacks from contractors supplying raw materials to KSDL through his son.
Lokayukta officials arrested Virupakshappa’s son Prashant Kumar MV on March 2 from the KSDL office for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 40 lakh from a contractor.
Prashant 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 inquiry will revolve around the recovery of cash in the KSDL office and the MLA’s house.
Admitting that the money found in his house belonged to his family, the BJP MLA, who was granted anticipatory bail on Tuesday, told reporters, “Our taluk is known as the land of betel nuts. An ordinary farmer. Five to six crore rupees in the house. I have 125 acres of betel nut farm, betel nut market, and I have many other businesses as well. I will submit proper documents to the Lokayukta and get my money back.”
According to Lokayukta sources, a huge amount of gold and silver jewelery has been found from the MLA’s house, besides huge investment in the land.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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