On Thursday, the anti-corruption wing of the Karnataka Lokayukta raided the office of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa on Bengaluru’s Crescent Road and found ₹40 lakh cash, allegedly bribe money. The raid caught his son, Prashanth Madal, who is a KAS officer, red-handed while he was taking the bribe from a contractor for a project. The discovery has shocked many.
Prashanth works as a chief accountant in the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). His father, Madal Virupakshappa, is a sitting MLA from the Channagiri constituency in Davanagere district. He is also the chairman of Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited.
Prashanth had allegedly demanded the bribe to close a tender for the BWSSB which is worth ₹80 lakh, according to reports. The Lokayukta acted on a complaint over the demand for a bribe. An official source from the Lokayukta said more than ₹1.7 crore cash was found at Madal’s office.
A video of the Lokayukta counting the cash recovered at his office is going viral on social media sites.
The discovery led to an uproar in the opposition, as the Karnataka Congress furthered their “40 per cent commission” attack on the Basavaraj Bommai-led government, implying corruption charges, ahead of the crucial upcoming assembly polls in the southern state.
Alleging that the BJP is collecting funds for the election, the Karnataka Congress on Twitter questioned if CM Bommai will give in his resignation.
Further investigation is on and more details are awaited.
