K.R. Puram MLA Byrathi Basavaraj arrested after SC rejects bail plea

A video grab of former Minister and BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj being taken into custody.

Hours after the Supreme Court rejected his bail plea, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday arrested K.R. Puram MLA Byrathi Basavaraj of the BJP from the Kempegowda International Airport on Thursday evening.

Mr. Basavaraj, who was allegedly involved in ‘Biklu’ Shiva murder case, had approached the Supreme Court seeking bail after the Karnataka High Court rejected his plea.

CID officials had questioned him twice earlier and asked him to appear for further questioning, but Mr. Basavaraj was subsequently not to be traced and applied for anticipatory bail fearing arrest.

The CID began a search for him after the High Court rejected his bail plea, and even Home Minister G. Parameshwara had advised him to surrender. Mr. Basavaraj had then approached the Supreme Court seeking bail, which was rejected.

CID officials were at the airport as he arrived there from Ahemedabad on Wednesday, and arrested Mr. Basavaraj and took him to the CID headquarters.

He will be taken for medical examination as part of the procedure and produced before the magistrate seeking police custody for further investigation.

The BJP MLA was named as accused number 5 in ‘Bikla’ Shiva murder case. V.G. Shivaprakash alias Bikla Shiva (44), a history-sheeter with more than 12 criminal cases against him, was brutally hacked to death by a gang in Bharathi Nagar on the night of July 15, 2025, allegedly over a business rivalry in the real estate sector.

According to police, Shiva who had a reputation for staking claims over disputed properties and was often described as a real estate conman rather than a conventional gangster was called out of his residence by the accused on the pretext of holding talks. Once he stepped onto the busy street outside his house, the assailants allegedly attacked him with lethal weapons in full public view.

According to the police, quoting the family of the deceased and the sources, the murder appears to have stemmed from ongoing disputes linked to real estate dealings.

The Bengaluru police First Information Report (FIR) has named Jagadish Padmanabha alias Jaga (42), described as a close associate of BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj, as Accused (A1). Three of his alleged henchmen have been listed as A2, A3, and A4. Mr Basavaraj has been named as Accused No. 5 (A5) in the case.