‘Demand since day one’: Karnataka Govt says custodial interrogation of BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj necessary in Bikla Shiva murder case

BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj. (File Photo)

The Karnataka Government Tuesday submitted before the High Court that the custodial interrogation of BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj in connection with the Bikla Shiva murder case is necessary, while also questioning the maintainability of his petition for anticipatory bail.

Basavaraj is accused Number 5 in the murder case of real estate operative V G Shivaprakash, also known as Bikla Shiva, who was killed in front of his house in East Bengaluru in July last year.

The murder was allegedly carried out by a group at the direction of Jagadish alias Jaga, a local gangster who is alleged to have links with Byrathi Basavaraj. Jagadish, who is accused No 1 in the case, previously had disputes with Bikla Shiva related to the real estate business.

On December 26, 2025, the Karnataka High Court granted interim anticipatory bail to the K R Puram MLA in the current petition.

“Since the petitioner had obtained protection from the coordinate bench of this court until 19 December, considering the facts and circumstances of the case and conduct of investigation by the IO, at this stage without expressing any opinions on the merits of the case, it is just and proper to grant ad-interim till the disposal of the main petition,” the court said then.

Before this, the High Court had, in another petition, ruled that the Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act (KCOCA) was inapplicable in the case against the Bharatiya Janata Party leader Basavaraj.

During submissions Tuesday, the state counsel said, “That (custodial interrogation) has been the demand of the investigation since day one.”

While the government counsel also argued that proper notice of the petition had not been given to them for the hearing on December 26, Basavaraj’s counsel said the Special Public Prosecutor for the matter was not in India at the time.

The bench orally questioned the haste to obtain bail on December 26, 2025, without further hearing the state’s side, when Basavaraj was not arrested in the case.

In the wake of submissions, the bench noted that the matter would have to be heard further on the merits.

The bench set the next hearing in the Bikla Shiva murder case again on January 12.