Advocates’ assn writes to CJI over quick posting of anticipatory bail plea of BJP MLA Virupakshappa

PTI, Mar 8, 2023, 5:07 PM IST

The Advocates’ Association, Bengaluru, has expressed concern over quick posting of the interim anticipatory bail application of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa, facing charges of collecting bribes through his son Prashanth Kumar M V.

The Congress too raised questions over it saying that this will not happen without the government support.

The MLA, who resigned as the chairperson of the Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), was granted anticipatory bail by the High Court on Tuesday.

The Lokayukta has named Virupakshappa as accused number one after his son Prashanth, who is chief accounts officer in the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage, was caught red-handed while allegedly receiving a bribe of Rs 40 lakh last Thursday.

Subsequent raids led to the recovery of Rs 8.23 crore cash, besides discovery of gold ornaments, silver and land investment details.

In a letter to the Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, the association led by its president Vivek Subba Reddy and general secretary T G Ravi also highlighted that justice should be equal to all.

”The usual practice in the High Court of Karnataka is that new matters like anticipatory bail take several days and weeks for posting but, however, VIP matters are entertained overnight,” the association said in their letter.

Stating that this practice would lead to the common man losing faith in the judicial system, the association pointed out that an MLA should also be treated as a common man.

The association also appealed to the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court to direct the registry to post all the anticipatory bail matters in one day, ”so that the common man is treated as a VIP.” ”It is essential that the temple of justice should be equal to all and any VIP must have to wait just as the common man and in this regard, the Advocates’ Association, Bengaluru expresses serious shock and concern over the matter,” the lawyers’ body said.

Addressing reporters, Congress state working president Ramalinga Reddy alleged that the government was involved in granting the MLA bail in one day.

”How can an MLA get bail in just one day without government support or the backing of government lawyers? It is not possible to get bail in just one day,” Reddy said at a press conference.

He alleged that when the opposition leaders get caught, they do not get bail for two to three months. The government lawyers argue against the bail in such circumstances.

”However, in this (Madal Virupakshappa’s) case the bail within a day is not possible without government support. The government is also involved in it,” he alleged.

Quoting the Advocates’ Association’s letter, Reddy said if an MLA gets bail in a day then the ordinary people should also be entitled to the same benefit. This is very apt in this country.

The corrupt face of the BJP is now exposed, Reddy said adding, in the last four years ever since the BJP came to power in Karnataka, various scams came to light and prominent among them were the PSI recruitment scam, lecturer recruitment scam.

”Whenever these issues were raised, the adamant BJP government demanded proof. Now they got caught with proof,” he said.