Karnataka BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj was arrested on Thursday at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru in connection with a KR Puram murder case, police sources said. A police team waiting at Terminal 1 took him into custody shortly after his arrival from Ahmedabad.
The arrest came hours after the Supreme Court refused to hear Basavaraj’s plea challenging a Karnataka High Court order that had denied him anticipatory bail in the case.
The case concerns the murder of Shivaprakash, alias Biklu Shivu, a 40-year-old history-sheeter-turned-realtor, who was killed in Bharathi Nagar on July 15, 2025. During the investigation, police began probing the alleged involvement of Basavaraj, a former minister, eventually naming him the fifth accused in the FIR.
According to investigators, a group of assailants arrived in a car and attacked Shivaprakash. The victim’s mother, Vijayalakshmi, stated in her complaint that she witnessed eight to nine individuals assaulting her son with iron rods and machetes. She added that a friend who attempted to intervene was also attacked with an iron rod.
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Police said the murder appears to be linked to a long-standing property dispute dating back to February 2025, involving rival claimants to land in the Kithaganur area. Authorities are continuing their probe into the case.
Basavaraj, who represents the KR Puram constituency, had previously served as a state minister. His arrest has intensified political attention and public scrutiny, given his stature and the high-profile nature of the case.
Police officials said the investigation is ongoing, and further developments will be communicated as inquiries progress.
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