PRASHANTH KUMAR M V Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This petition is filed by the petitioner-accused No.2 under Sec. 439 of Cr.P.C., for granting regular bail in Crime No.13/2023 registered by Lokayuktha Police, Bengaluru for the offences punishable under Ss. 7(a) & (b), 7(A), 8, 9 and 10 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (for short 'P.C. Act'), pending on the file of 23rd Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru.

(2.) Heard the arguments of learned counsel for the petitioner and Sri. B.B.Patil, learned Special counsel for the respondent-Lokayuktha.

(3.) The case of the prosecution is that the defacto- complainant one Shreyas Kashyap filed a complaint to the Lokayuktha Police on 2/3/2023 alleging that the accused No.1 is said to be the Chairman of the Karnataka State Soaps and Detergent Limited (hereinafter referred to as 'KSDL') and MLA and demanded Rs.81.00 lakhs for the purpose of placing the order, smooth payment and accepting the tender for procuring the raw material to the KSDL. When the complainant met accused No.1 who is the sitting MLA and chairman of KSDL, said to be demanded Rs.81.00 lakhs and asked to contact this petitioner- accused No.2 and accordingly, the complainant met this petitioner and this petitioner also demanded bribe on 28/2/2023 and the complainant is not interested in paying the bribe and hence, filed complaint to the Police. A trap was set up and an amount of Rs.40.00 lakhs was sent through the complainant on 2/3/2023 when it was handing over to accused No.2, the Lokayuktha Police trapped him and seized Rs.40.00 lakhs. The Lokayuktha Police also seized another Rs.90.00 lakhs from two other persons and thereafter, they said to be raided the house of accused No.1 and seized Rs.6.10 crores from the bed room of accused No.1 and the petitioner was arrested, he was produced before the Special Court and remanded to the judicial custody. Subsequently, the Police said to be took the petitioner for 10 days custody, thereafter, he was remanded back to the judicial custody. His bail petition came to be rejected by the Trial Court on 10/4/2023 in Crl.Misc.Nos.2176/2023 and 2524/2023. Hence the petitioner is before this Court.