BJP MLA ticket scam: Karnataka Police arrests religious saint in Odisha
Bengaluru (IANS). Officials of the Special Wing of Karnataka City Central Crime Branch (CCB) have arrested absconding religious saint Abhinav Halashree in connection with the BJP MLA ticket scam in Odisha.
The key accused Chaitra Kundapura is a Hindu activist who, while in custody, had told the media that once Abhinav Halashree is arrested, the involvement of big fish in the BJP in connection with the scam will come to light. As the saint was not arrested even after 10 days, questions started being raised on the investigation.
According to the police, the saint was arrested from Cuttack city of Odisha with the help of local police on Monday night. The saint was traveling in a train from Bhubaneswar city to Bodh Gaya. The accused saint will be brought to Bengaluru.
Halashree is accused of accepting a bribe of Rs 1.5 crore from industrialist Govind Babu Pujari by promising him a BJP MLA ticket from Banduru assembly constituency in Dakshina Kannada district. He formed a gang with Chaitra Kundapura, the main accused in the scam.
Sources said that Halashree had ditched the saffron attire and was wearing a T-shirt and was traveling in the train like a normal person. He went missing after Kundapura’s arrest on September 12. The victim had lodged a complaint on September 8. When Kundapura was arrested in Udupi he was attending a meeting and he left the program and went into hiding. He was planning to reach Kashi.
He went to Hyderabad, Farooqabad, Puri and Konark.
Investigation revealed that the accused saint had purchased agricultural land and had also invested in a petrol bunk.
Meanwhile, another FIR was lodged at Kota police station by BJP worker Sudheen against Kundapura of Udupi.
It is alleged that Kundapura had taken Rs 5 lakh from the complainant by promising to build a shop for him. When she was confronted about this, Kundapura threatened to implicate her in a false rape and murder case. Police have registered a case under sections 506, 417 and 420 of IPC.
