Bengaluru, 26 August

The State Police have arrested Jagadish Padmanabha, a former gangster and associate of BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj, in Delhi regarding the brutal murder of realtor VG Shivaprakash in Bengaluru on 15 July. Jagadish, 42, known as Jaga, allegedly fled to Dubai post-crime but was later traced to Thailand. Following an Interpol Blue Corner Notice, he is set to be brought back to the City.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has linked Basavaraj to the murder, which emerged from a property dispute. “Jaga was seen fleeing in an Audi car within 30 minutes of the murder,” a source stated. The MLA has previously been questioned and named in the First Information Report, but the State High Court has granted him protection from arrest.

Shivaprakash had filed prior complaints fearing threats from Jaga. The CID is applying the Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act (KCOCA), 2000, which allows for stringent police custody and extended investigation periods. The police have arrested 16 individuals in total, including key accomplices of Jaga, amid claims of political connections influencing the case.