The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested senior BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj on Thursday night in connection with the murder of rowdy-sheeter Shivaprakash alias Biklu Shiva. This arrest followed the Supreme Court’s rejection of Basavaraj’s bail plea earlier in the day. Basavaraj, representing the KR Puram Assembly constituency, was taken into custody at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru upon his return from Ahmedabad.
Basavaraj had faced the possibility of arrest after his anticipatory bail plea was turned down by the Karnataka High Court. Following his detention at the airport, he was brought to the CID office in Bengaluru for formal arrest procedures. Basavaraj underwent a medical examination and is expected to appear before a court on Friday. The CID is likely to request his custodial interrogation by filing a remand application.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court bench, comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymala Bagchi, advised Basavaraj to face trial, emphasizing his role as a public servant. The murder of Biklu Shiva took place in Bengaluru’s Halasuru area on July 15 last year. Basavaraj has been named as the fifth accused in the case and faces charges of murder based on a complaint filed by the victim’s mother.
Investigators have alleged Basavaraj’s links with the prime accused, rowdy Jagadeesh alias Jagga, and his multiple meetings with Biklu Shiva before the incident. Basavaraj, who was previously associated with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah before joining the BJP, is now in the custody of the CID pending further legal proceedings.
