In a significant development in the high-profile murder of a Bengaluru real estate operative, the Karnataka Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has presented crucial digital evidence linking a sitting BJP legislator to the prime accused. The special court for elected representatives, examining this evidence, has rejected the anticipatory bail plea of BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj, calling the allegations against him "prima facie serious."
Digital Trail: The Call and Meeting After the Murder
The CID's chargesheet, filed on December 22, reveals a damning sequence of events based on call detail records (CDR) and cell tower location data. According to the investigation, soon after real estate operative V G Shivaprakash alias Bikla Shiva was brutally murdered outside his house in east Bengaluru on July 15, the main accused, Jagadish P alias Jaga—a criminal history-sheeter—made a phone call to MLA Byrathi Basavaraj.
The cell tower data indicates that following this call, both individuals were present at the same location, suggesting a meeting. Shortly after this encounter, Jaga fled the country. He was later deported back to India from Sri Lanka. The special court took serious note of this evidence, stating it pointed to "serious allegations" against the MLA, who is listed as accused number five in the case.
Conspiracy Hatched During Kumbh Mela Visit
The CID prosecutor informed the court that the conspiracy to murder Bikla Shiva was allegedly planned much earlier. The plot was reportedly hatched during a visit to Prayagraj for the Kumbh Mela in February. The CID claims that Basavaraj, Jaga, and a close associate named Ajeeth conspired together during this trip.
This development followed the escalation of a land dispute in Kithaganur, east Bengaluru, between Shiva and an aide of the MLA. Substantiating the connection, the CID reported that Basavaraj traveled with the two co-accused on the same flights to Prayagraj. Intriguingly, for one of the flights, the trio traveled on the same PNR number, which was allegedly booked by a close aide of the MLA involved in the property dispute with the murder victim.
Court Cites Rivalry and Rejects Protection Plea
The special court, while rejecting Basavaraj's anticipatory bail application, referenced the ongoing rivalry between the MLA and the deceased. The court noted that the victim had previously reported a threat to his life from the MLA and his associates to the police, following the dispute over the Kithaganur property.
The court also aligned its observations with the Karnataka High Court's stance. On December 19, the High Court had withdrawn an interim protection from arrest granted to the MLA on August 12. The High Court had remarked that "custodial interrogation is a legal option available to the investigating agency," a point the special court emphasized in its bail rejection order.
The CID's case portrays Basavaraj as a figure providing protection to real estate operations in his K R Puram constituency, run by associates with criminal backgrounds like Jaga, K Kiran, Vimal Raj, Madan, and Ajeeth. The court recorded the agency's submission that the MLA was supporting the real estate business of the main accused.
This case continues to unfold, with the CID's digital evidence forming a critical pillar in establishing the alleged chain of events leading from a property dispute to a daylight murder and the subsequent actions of the accused.
