The son of sitting Karnataka BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa was arrested on Thursday while accepting a bribe of Rs 40 lakh by the anti-corruption division of Lokayukta. The Lokayukta officials apprehended Prashanth Madal, the son of the BJP Lawmaker when he accepted the bribe at his workplace.
The chairman of Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Ltd. is Madal Virupakshappa. After receiving a complaint about the demand for a bribe, Lokayukta was called to duty.
The Lokayukta officials have recovered Rs 7.62 crore at his and his aides' residences, sources confirmed on Friday, adding that raids are still being conducted at MLA's locations after the BJP MLA's son was caught red-handed receiving a Rs 40 lakh bribe.
The cash was discovered by Lokayukta investigators at the home and workplace of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa's son Prashanth, who served as the Chief Accountant of the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).
Prashanth reportedly requested Rs 80 lakh in bribe in order to pass a tender process. Upon taking Rs 40 lakh at his workplace, he was busted.
The Lokayukta police have taken Prashanth into custody and are now checking the paperwork.
Regarding the selection of the bidder to supply raw materials to the Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited, a protest was made (KSDL). Chairman of KSDL is Prashath's father.
Given that the bribe money was obtained on behalf of the KSDL Chairman for a raw material procurement tender, the authorities are likely to question BJP MLA Virupakshappa.
Lokayukta caught a clerk accepting bribe in MP recently
An official reported that on February 24 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, a team of Lokayukta caught a clerk working for the Employees' State Insurance Corporation in the act of collecting a bribe of Rs 5000.
Shubham Gupta has been named as the accused clerk. He was requesting Rs 5,000 in payment from a female contract worker working for MPEB (Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board) in exchange for letting her withdraw her maternity leave benefits.
Lokayukta Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Raghvendra Rishishwar said, "We received a complaint from a woman who wished her name not to be quoted working as a contractual employee at MPEB, lodged a complaint on February 20. She said that the maternity leave amount which gets deducted from her bank account (around Rs 50,000) was to be given to her by the Employees' State Insurance Corporation." But the accused clerk Shubham Gupta was not giving that money to her, instead, he was demanding a bribe of Rs 5,000 to sanction the amount. Acting on the complaint, a trap was initiated and the accused was caught red-handed. The team also recovered the bribe amount from the accused, Lokayukta DSP added.
A case was registered against the accused under section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. After the recovery of the bribe amount, additional sections 13(1)(b) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act have been imposed against him. Further investigation into the matter is underway, he added.
