Bengaluru, 19 Dec

The Karnataka High Court on Friday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj in connection with the murder of a rowdy sheeter.

The case pertains to the murder of Shivaprakash alias Biklu Shivu, who was hacked to death at Bharathi Nagar in the city in July this year.

During the investigation, the police began probing the alleged role of Basavaraj in the crime, who has been named as the fifth accused in the FIR.

The MLA approached the State High Court seeking anticipatory bail. Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav heard the petition and declined to grant anticipatory bail to Basavaraj and directed him to approach the trial court with an appropriate application. Significantly, the High Court also refused to grant any interim protection from arrest, thereby clearing the way for the investigating agencies to summon or arrest the MLA as part of the probe.

However, the court offered limited relief by clarifying that the provisions of the Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act (KOCA) would not apply to this case.