Karnataka News: Former BJP Minister And MLA Byrathi Basavaraj Appears Before Police In Rowdy Murder Case After HC Declines Relief

Bengaluru, July 19: Former BJP Minister and MLA Byrathi Basavaraj, against whom the police have registered a case in connection with the murder of a rowdy sheeter Shivaprakash appeared before the Bharathi Nagar police on Saturday afternoon, after Karnataka High Court refused to interfere in the matter.

Shivaprakash was murdered in front of his house on Tuesday night and Byrathi Basavaraj has been named as A-5 in the case.

Soon after the police registered a case against him, Byrathi Basavaraj approached the Karnataka High Court, seeking quashing of the FIR against him.

However, Single Judge in the court Justice S R Krishna Kumar asked the former minister to appear before the investigating officer on Saturday and the court refused to issue directions against police arresting him.

Byrathi Basavaraju, who had agreed to appear before the investigating officer to appear at around 11 am, reached the police station only by 2.30 pm. He was questioned by the investigating team till 6.30 pm, before letting him go. However, the police have summoned him again on Wednesday for further questioning.

There was a land dispute between the assailants and Shivaprakash. Way back in February, Shivaprakash had lodged a complaint with the City Police Commissioner, seeking protection. He had also submitted a video clipping where he was being threatened by A-1 Jagadish alias Jagga, who is said to be a close associate of Byrathi Basavaraj.

Former BJP Minister & MLA Byrathi Basavaraj Named In FIR Over Murder Of Rowdy Sheeter In Land Dispute

Though Byrathi Basavaraj denied any land dispute and any knowledge about either deceased Shivaprakash or the accused persons, the photographs of Byrathi Basavaraj with Jagga in various places, including the recent Kumbh Mela surfaced in public.

Even the State BJP unit backed Byrathi Basavaraj, where BJP State President B Y Vijayendra and MLC C T Ravi criticising the government of fabricating the case against the BJP leader. However, after the photos of the A-1 and the MLA surfaced, they went silent.