Prashanth Madal is Chief Accountant of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), and son of Channagiri MLA Madal Virupakshappa (BJP). He was arrested by the Lokayukta for taking a ₹40 lakh bribe, in Bengaluru on March 2, 2023.

After the arrest of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa’s son Prashanth Kumar, who was caught by the Lokayukta which seized about ₹6 crore in cash from his residence, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that his government has empowered the Lokayukta to eliminate corruption in the administration.

Mr Virupakshappa represents Channagiri in Davanagere district in the Assembly.

His son Prashanth Kumar is the chief accounts officer of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB).

Lokayukta officers arrested Prashanth Kumar in the office of the State-owned Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) in Bengaluru while taking a ₹40 lakh bribe allegedly on behalf of his father, on March 2. Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) makes ‘Mysore Sandal Soap’. The MLA is the chairman of KSDL. 

Mr Bommai said, “There is no change in the government’s stand. The Lokayukta is an independent body. The government would not interfere in the probe of the anti-corruption body. Let it conduct the probe impartially, and the probe will reveal the truth.”

Taking a dig at KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar’s charge of ‘what more proof is required for the 40% commission allegation against the government’, Mr Bommai said the previous Congress government, led by Siddaramaiah, weakened the Lokayukta and closed several cases by referring them to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

The Lokayukta had been probing 59 cases involving MLAs and ministers of the Congress. The cases of corruption, which were declared ‘closed’ by the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah, would be investigated by the Lokayukta.

The Chief Minister rejected the suggestion of former Minister and Congress MLA K.J. George in the Legislative Assembly that the ACB should be continued in Karnataka.

Congress targets BJP over arrest of son of an MLA

Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka, alleged that the ‘ugly stench of corruption of 40% of the government has soiled the beautiful scent of Mysore Sandal Soap’. He demanded a judicial probe by the chief justice of the High Court of Karnataka into corruption in the BJP government.

“Why was the MLA not arrested? What is the role of Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai? The MLA should be arrested, Mr Bommai should resign, and Mr Nirani should be sacked,” Mr Surjewala said.

Congress MLA Priyank Kharge and party spokesperson Ramesh Babu, former MLC, too said an impartial probe should be conducted into the case.

Congress spokesperson Ramesh Babu alleged that Large Industries Minister Nirani and Mr Bommai have been protecting the MLA and his son. KSDL comes under the purview of the Large Industries Department. He appealed to the Lokayukta to name the MLA as the first accused in the case.

Instead of posting an IAS officer as the MD of KSDL, the government posted an IRS officer, and violated the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal’s order, he alleged.

Mr Kharge said that only BJP MLAs are under the scanner of probe agencies, and not Congress MLAs.