The Karnataka High Court is scheduled to hear the anticipatory bail plea of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Byrathi Basavaraj on Friday in connection with the murder of real estate operative V G Shivaprakash, popularly known as Bikla Shiva. The hearing will take place before a vacation bench of Justice G Basavaraju.
Special Court Denied Bail, Citing Serious Allegations
This development comes after a special court designated for cases involving MPs and MLAs rejected a similar bail application filed by the KR Puram MLA. The special court's denial was based on the serious nature of the allegations and the findings presented by the Karnataka Criminal Investigation Department (CID). In his petition to the High Court, Basavaraj has sought anticipatory bail to prevent his arrest in the murder case, along with interim bail for the duration of the court proceedings.
Details of the Bikla Shiva Murder Case
The victim, Bikla Shiva, was killed outside his residence in east Bengaluru, which falls under the Bharathinagar police station limits. The murder was executed by a group of hired assailants. Investigations suggest the homicide stemmed from a real estate dispute between Shiva and a local gangster named Jagadish, alias Jaga. Jaga, who is allegedly associated with MLA Byrathi Basavaraj, was identified as the main accused in the case. He was arrested in August after being intercepted by Interpol in Jakarta and subsequently extradited to India. In the First Information Report (FIR), Basavaraj is listed as the fifth accused.
During earlier legal submissions, the prosecution revealed a notable detail: Basavaraj had travelled to the Kumbh Mela in February alongside key members of Jaga's gang, and their flight tickets shared the same Passenger Name Record (PNR) number.
High Court's Recent Ruling on KCOCA Charges
In a related and significant ruling last week, the Karnataka High Court set aside the invocation of the stringent Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act (KCOCA) against MLA Byrathi Basavaraj. Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav, while dismissing the KCOCA application, stated that the law was invoked without evidence of continuing criminal activity by a gang. Such evidence typically requires multiple charge sheets against a gang member for offences punishable by more than three years.
Following this decision, the CID presented its case before the special court, opposing anticipatory bail. The agency informed the court that after Shiva's murder, Jaga allegedly placed a phone call to Basavaraj. The two are also alleged to have met before Jaga fled the country, first to Dubai and then to Jakarta.
The upcoming hearing on Friday will be crucial in determining the next legal steps for the BJP MLA as the investigation into this high-profile murder case continues.
