Bengaluru, Feb 12 (IANS) Following the Supreme Court’s rejection of his bail plea, Bengaluru BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj, an accused in the murder of rowdy-sheeter Shivaprakash alias Biklu Shiva, is likely to surrender before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday. Security has been tightened around the CID office in Bengaluru, and sources indicated that Basavaraj could surrender at any time.

Earlier in the day, a Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymala Bagchi, while hearing the petition, noted that the legislator had made false claims regarding his links with the main accused in the murder case and advised him to show the courage to face trial.

“Since you are a public servant, you should be courageous enough to face the trial,” the Bench observed.

Following the development, the CID intensified its search operations, as Basavaraj now has the option of either surrendering before the investigating officers or appearing before the competent court and filing a regular bail petition before the Special Court for MLAs/MPs.

Basavaraj had already been facing the prospect of imminent arrest after the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday rejected his anticipatory bail plea in connection with the case.

A Bench headed by Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav passed the order after vacating the interim protection from arrest that had been granted earlier.

After the High Court’s decision, CID sleuths launched a search operation to trace the MLA. CID sources said Basavaraj had gone absconding, and police officials maintained that he could be arrested at any time.

Earlier, the High Court had granted Basavaraj interim protection from arrest.

The murder of rowdy-sheeter Biklu Shiva took place on July 15 last year in the Halasuru area of Bengaluru.

Investigators are understood to have gathered key evidence against the MLA. CID sources stated that custodial interrogation of Basavaraj is necessary to advance the probe and to uncover the larger conspiracy behind the murder.

Basavaraj has been booked on charges of murder and named as the fifth accused in connection with the killing of Biklu Shiva, who was hacked to death in front of his residence. The Bharatinagar police in Bengaluru registered an FIR against the MLA based on a complaint filed by the victim’s mother.

The case later took a dramatic turn when the deceased’s mother claimed that she had never mentioned the name of the BJP MLA in her complaint and did not know how his name came to be included in the FIR. However, the police subsequently stated that they had established Basavaraj’s alleged links with the prime accused in the case.

Investigators have claimed that Basavaraj had direct links with rowdy Jagadeesh alias Jagga, the prime accused, and had met Biklu Shiva several times prior to the killing.

Basavaraj was earlier associated with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah before joining the BJP.

–IANS

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