The Special Court for MLAs/MPs in Bengaluru has granted bail to Congress MLA K.C. Veerendra, also known as Veerendra Pappi, in connection with an illegal betting case. Veerendra was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and spent four months in Bengaluru Central Jail. He represents the Challakere Assembly constituency in Chitradurga district.
Veerendra was apprehended on August 23 in Gangtok while he was there with his associates to lease land for a casino. Despite his wife filing a Writ Petition in the High Court of Karnataka challenging his arrest by the ED, the High Court upheld the arrest and dismissed the petition. The ED discovered Rs 21 crore in cash and other valuables at Veerendra’s residence in Karnataka.
The ED revealed that Veerendra was involved in running multiple online betting sites under various names. Investigations disclosed that Veerendra and his associates amassed over Rs 2,000 crore through online platforms. The Karnataka BJP accused Veerendra of channeling more than Rs 300 crore for the Bihar elections, a claim disputed by the Leader of the Opposition, R. Ashoka, who criticized the Congress for allegedly treating Karnataka as an ATM.
