Lokayukta raids K'taka BJP MLA's son's house, recovers Rs 6 cr unaccounted cash

Ahead of the upcoming Karnataka elections, the BJP suffered a major setback as the Lokayukta police recovered unaccounted cash of more than six crore from the house of BJP MLA K Madal Virupakshappa's son, Prashanth Madal on Friday.

Lokayukta's raid came a day after Prashanth, the chief accountant of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 40 lakh from a contractor Shreyas Kashyap of Chemixil Corporation at the Karnataka Soap and Detergents Limited (KSDL) office.

Virupakshappa, MLA from Channagiri constituency in Davanagere district, is the chairman of KSDL and Prashanth was allegedly receiving first installment' of the bribe on behalf of his father, according to Lokayukta sources.

The Lokayukta said searches were conducted in various other locations as well.

"During the investigation searches were carried by five teams throughout the night in the office and residential premises of the accused persons at Sanjaynagar, their houses at Shivanand Circle, residential premises of the Dr Mahesh M, Managing Director, Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited in Banashankari Nagar First Stage and office premises of Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited and also in home town of Madal Virupakshappa," Lokayukta said in a statement.

Bommai said due to the absence of a strong Lokayukta in the past, many corruption cases during the Congress regime could never get investigated.

"We have been repeatedly saying that we will conduct an impartial probe. Our stand in this case as well is that the independent Lokayukta institution will carry out an impartial investigation and whoever has done wrong will face action. There is no change in our stand," the Chief Minister said.

With inputs from agencies