Court grants bail to Cong leader in life threat case

BENGALURU: The 36th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court in Bengaluru on Wednesday granted bail to the accused former corporator and Congress leader Padmaraj in connection with the case of issuing life threats to four time BJP MLA and former minister K. Gopalaiah.

Earlier, Kamakshipalya Police had arrested him from his residence.

The development of threatening BJP MLA Gopalaiah was also discussed in the Assembly. Speaker U.T. Khader had asked the state government to get the accused arrested or suspend the concerned police inspector.

However, after his release, accused Padmaraj made serious allegations against LoP R. Ashoka. He said that in 2010, Ashoka had taken Rs 1 crore promising that he will make him the Mayor of Bengaluru city.

“I took back the money after the Congress government came to power. Issuing a life threat to Gopalaiah is a false allegation. I will never threaten any person. I have not issued any threats. I had given Rs 15 lakh over a contract work and had called him only for that,” he said.

Earlier, addressing the Congress government in the Assembly on Wednesday morning, the Speaker U.T. Khader said that the House must take the issue seriously.

Mahalakshmi Layout BJP MLA K. Gopalaiah also raised the issue of former corporator and Congress leader Padmaraj giving him life threat.

He said that senior BJP leader S. Sureshkumar was also threatened by the accused.

BJP MLA Suresh Kumar said that he and LoP R. Ashoka have also suffered at the hands of the same person. “Though no clubs are allowed to run in the entire Bengaluru, he runs clubs in his buildings. Though he is in the house, why has he not been arrested yet? The Speaker should give direction for his immediate arrest,” he said.