Bengaluru: An eye-popping mountain of cash worth about ₹ 6 crore was found after searches at the home of a bureaucrat son of a Karnataka BJP MLA caught accepting a bribe a day ago, officials said on Friday, in a huge embarrassment for the party trying to woo voters for elections later this year.
The anti-corruption wing of the Lokayukta – the state’s ombudsman – raided the home of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa’s son Prashanth Madal and found the huge pile of cash. The search went on till late in the night.
Madal Virupakshappa, the MLA from Channagiri in the Davanagere district, is the chairman of the state-owned Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), which makes the famous Mysore Sandal Soap. His son is the chief accountant at Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).
On Thursday, Karnataka Lokayukta officers caught Mr Virupakshappa’s son at the KSDL office while taking a bribe of ₹ 40 lakh and arrested him. At least three bags of cash, worth ₹ 1.75 crore, were found at the office, which has also been seized, officials said.
“The anti-corruption branch of Lokayukta yesterday caught Prashanth Madal, son of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa while taking a bribe of ₹ 40 lakh. Over ₹ 1.7 crore in cash was recovered from his office,” the Karnataka Lokayukta said.
The ombudsman said they had been tipped off by a complaint about Prashanth Madal, a 2008-batch Karnataka Administrative Services officer, demanding a ₹ 81-lakh payoff from a contractor for a deal for raw materials need to manufacture soap and other detergents.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the ombudsman will conduct an independent investigation. He also attacked the opposition Congress.
“We have re-established Lokayukta to curb corruption. During the Congress regime, with Lokayukta dissolved, a lot of cases were closed. We will investigate the cases which were closed. Lokayukta is an independent institution and our stand is clear. The institution will investigate independently and we will not interfere in it,” he said.
The Karnataka BJP’s efforts to win another term, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party chief JP Nadda’s frequent visits to the state and lavish announcements, have been countered by accusations of corruption in the state government.
The opposition has accused Mr Bommai’s administration of instituting a common rate of kickbacks and dubbed it the “40 per cent” government.
“The loot of #40PercentSarkara continues unabated… caught red-handed taking ₹ 40 lakh bribe, Now ₹ crore recovered from BJP MLA’s son’s house. Father chairman, son takes money! Cozy Corrupt nexus of BJP!” Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said.
