Karnataka BJP MLA booked in rowdy sheeter''s murder

Bengaluru, Jul 16 (PTI) Karnataka BJP MLA and former Minister Byrathi Basavaraj has been booked in connection with the murder of a rowdy-sheeter-turned-realtor, in front of his mother, police said on Wednesday.

The BJP leader said he has no idea of the incident, and the complaint was made with malafide intention.

According to police, the assailants arrived in a car and murdered Shivaprakash alias Biklu Shivu in Bharathi Nagar in the city on Tuesday night.

Basavaraj has been booked along with others, based on a complaint filed by the deceased's mother, police said.

Shivaprakash’s mother, Vijayalakshmi, in her complaint, said she saw eight to nine people "assaulting" her son with iron rods and machetes. When his friend tried to intervene, they hit him too with an iron rod.

"As I screamed, people around began gathering. Those unknown individuals murdered my son and fled the scene in a white Scorpio vehicle and a two-wheeler. I can identify them if I see them," Vijayalakshmi said in her complaint.

Top police officials, including DCP D Devaraj and Joint Commissioner Ramesh Bhanot, visited the spot and confirmed that Shivaprakash had a long criminal record, with 11 cases registered against him and a rowdy sheet opened in 2006.

The police have registered a case against Basavaraj along with Jagadeesh, Kiran, Vimal, and Anil. The former minister has been listed as Accused No 5 in the FIR, police said.

On February 11, Jagadeesh and Kiran allegedly encroached on Shivaprakash’s property in Kitaknoor and evicted two female security guards from the premises, Vijayalakshmi alleged.

She also claimed the accused had been calling and threatening her son over the phone.

Reacting to the FIR lodged against him, Basavaraj told reporters at the Vidhana Soudha, "I don’t know about the incident. If I had known, I would have lodged a complaint with the police. I have no information about it. The complaint has been lodged with malafide intention." He said he had no idea why the complaint had been filed against him.

"How can I react when I don’t even know a small detail—what land they are talking about, who took it, who the rowdy is, or who is on the rowdy list?" the MLA asked.

He blamed the police for registering a case against him without proper deliberation.

"I am a four-time MLA. There are no controversies surrounding me. Have there been any instances of me troubling anyone? I am deeply hurt that something like this has happened suddenly," the former minister said.

He vowed to fight the case legally and said he would meet State Home Minister G Parameshwara to explain his side.

Speaking to reporters, Parameshwara said, "I don’t have any information about the incident at the moment. I will get the exact details and then respond. I am not aware of the case that has been reported." PTI GMS SSK GMS SSK ADB