BJP MLA Basavaraj Denies Murder Charges in Bengaluru
BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj has said he has no link to the murder case in which he has been named as the fifth accused. Speaking to the media in Bengaluru on Wednesday, Basavaraj said he was falsely named in the case.
“I don’t know the person who was killed or those who killed him,” he said. “I don’t even know the person who filed the complaint. Can police file an FIR just because someone makes false claims?” he asked.
Basavaraj said he came to know about the case only after seeing news reports. He plans to take legal action to remove his name from the FIR. He also said he will speak to Home Minister G. Parameshwara about the issue.
Basavaraj is the MLA from K.R. Puram constituency in Bengaluru. He was earlier close to CM Siddaramaiah before joining BJP. His younger brother, Byrathi Suresh, is currently a Minister in Siddaramaiah’s cabinet, handling Urban Development and Town Planning.
The police have booked Basavaraj for murder in connection with the killing of rowdy sheeter Shivaprakash, also known as Biklu Shiva. Shivaprakash was hacked to death outside his house on Tuesday night.
The complaint was filed by his mother, Vijayalaxmi. Police said Shivaprakash had earlier complained that Basavaraj’s associates threatened him over a land dispute. He said they forced him to cancel the General Power of Attorney (GPA) and hand over the land to them. He also gave video evidence of the threats to police.
The FIR has been filed under Sections 103 and 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against Basavaraj and four others – Jagadish (34), Kiran (33), Vimal (36), and Anil (34). Police said more people may be added to the FIR as the investigation continues.
