Special court sends MLA Madal Virupakshappa to judicial custody till April 11

BENGALURU: A special court on Saturday remanded BJP’s Channagiri MLA Madal Virupakshappa to judicial custody till April 11 in connection with a corruption case.

The Lokayukta police had taken Madal Virupakshappa into their custody for five days on March 28. He was produced before the special court on Saturday after the police custody ended.

Virupakshappa’s advocate requested the court to provide homemade food to his client, but the court rejected it and directed the authorities to provide him prison meals. The court also adjourned Virupakshappa’s bail plea to April 6 and asked the Lokayukta police to file objections.

During the hearing, Madal Virupakshappa explained about his health issues and requested the judge to have a look at the health check-up report conducted on Friday. Responding to concerns about his health, the judge said that there is a hospital in the jail itself in case of illness.

Virupakshappa was arrested by the Lokayukta police at Kyathasandra toll in Tumakuru hours after his bail plea was rejected by the Karnataka High Court on March 27. A single-judge bench had dismissed the bail application.

After producing him before the trial court, the Lokyukta police sought 10 days custody, but Virupakshappa’s lawyer objected to it stating that he had already presented himself for questioning. The Lokayukta police then told the court that he has not cooperated during the inquiry. After hearing both sides, the special court sent him to police custody for five days.