Bidar, 6 June

A court has issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against BJP MLA from the Basavakalyan Assembly constituency, Sharanu Salagar, after he failed to appear for proceedings.

The 42nd Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Court in the City ordered the warrant following Salagar’s absence during the trial of a case linked to an incident during the Bakrid festival on 1 July, 2023.

Salagar was accused of creating a disturbance by alleging illegal cow slaughter at a Muslim household, leading to a commotion. The police had already filed a charge sheet, but the court issued the NBW on Thursday due to his absence during the evidence recording.

The warrants also target eight others: Lingaraj, Santosh, Shivakumar, Vinod, Sachin, Rajkumar, Shambuling, and Sharanabasappa. This is not Salagar’s first legal trouble; an FIR was registered against him over allegations of failing to repay Rs 99 lakh borrowed during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections.

Sanjukumar Sugure, a Basavakalyan businessman, filed the complaint at the local police station on 29 December, 2025, claiming Salagar borrowed the amount in instalments, promising repayment within six months, but failed.

The complainant alleged the MLA’s cheque bounced, his bank account was closed, and Salagar threatened him when asked to repay.