In a relief to Byrathi Basavaraj, MLA for K.R. Puram, the High Court of Karnataka on Friday granted him interim anticipatory bail on Wednesday in the rowdy-sheeter-cum realtor V.G. Shivaprakash alias “Biklu” Shiva murder case.
Vacation judge G.A. Basavaraja passed the interim order on the petition filed by the MLA after the sessions court rejected his plea for anticipatory bail.
The MLA should be released on bail by taking a personal bond for ₹5 lakh and two sureties for like sums, the court said while directing him to cooperate for the probe and not to tamper with the evidences/witnesses.
The High Court noted that the MLA had the benefit of interim protection against the arrest till December 19 and the investigation officer of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had neither filed charge sheet against the MLA nor placed investigation material collected against him till now before the court.
While the interim anticipatory bail will be in force till consideration of the plea for regular anticipatory bail, the hearing on which is adjourned till January 6.
Initially, a government counsel sought adjournment on hearing, stating that the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) will argue the case, and later the counsel requested the court to adjourn the hearing till December 30 by stating that the SPP has gone to a foreign country. However, the High Court declined the plea for adjournment.
Background
The Special Court of Sessions for criminal cases against present and former MPs and MLAs on December 23 had refused to grant anticipatory bail while citing the High Court’s observation that “the custodial interrogation is a legal option available to the investigating agency and there is no reason to deny such exercise of power”.
The High Court had made such an observation in its December 19 judgment of quashing the invocation of the Karnataka Control of Organised Crimes Act (KCOCA), 2000, against the MLA and other accused persons. However, the High Court in the same judgement had asked him to approach the sessions court for anticipatory bail in view of the quashing of the KCOCA. The sessions court was earlier barred from considering anticipatory bail due to invocation of KCOCA.
It was pointed to the vacation bench on Friday that the MLA, who is arraigned as accused number5, had appeared for questioning before the police twice and cooperated for the probe before the case was transferred to the CID. However, the CID had never summoned him for questioning even though there was no stay of the investigation, the Court was informed.
Though the CID had filed charge sheet against 18 of the total 20 accused persons in the case on December 22, it had sought time to complete investigation against the MLA and another accused, it was pointed out to the High Court.
Published – December 26, 2025 09:21 pm IST
