CID arrests Byrati Basavaraj at Bengaluru Airport after SC rejects anticipatory bail

Bengaluru

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday arrested BJP MLA Byrati Basavaraj at the Kempegowda International Airport shortly after the Supreme Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea in the high-profile Biklu Shiva murder case.

The 64-year-old legislator from K R Pura constituency was taken into custody hours after a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi dismissed his plea as withdrawn. The move came a day after the Karnataka High Court had rejected his anticipatory bail application and cancelled the interim protection that had shielded him from arrest since December 26, 2025. The CID had also issued a lookout notice against him on February 10.

Basavaraj had been named as an accused nearly eight months ago in the murder of realtor V G Shivaprakash, popularly known as Biklu Shiva, who was killed in East Bengaluru in July 2025. Investigators allege that the killing stemmed from disputes linked to real estate dealings.

In its February 10 order, the Karnataka High Court observed that anticipatory bail is an extraordinary relief and said custodial interrogation of an influential accused may be necessary for an effective investigation. The court noted that substantial material collected during the probe required confrontation with the accused.

During the hearings, the CID relied on call detail records, mobile location data and geo-mapping analysis to establish Basavaraj’s alleged links with key accused in the case, including former rowdy sheeter Jagadish alias Jaga and others accused of executing the murder. The prosecution also told the court that the victim’s mother had initially named the MLA and later spoke of alleged threats related to property disputes.

The CID had earlier invoked the Karnataka Control of Organised Crime Act (KCOCA) in the case, though the High Court later quashed its application. The state has challenged that decision in the Supreme Court.

With Basavaraj now in custody, the CID is expected to intensify interrogation as the probe into the alleged conspiracy continues.