Shimoga (Karnataka), Dec 31 (IANS) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister K.S. Eshwarappa, his son and daughter-in-law were Monday granted anticipatory bail in a corruption case by a court here.
Eshwarappa is also president of the state Bharatiya Janata Party unit. Shimoga, about 280 km north of Bangalore, is his home town.
Eshwarappa, his son K.E. Kantesh and daughter-in-law Shalini were directed by Lokayukta (ombudsman) court judge R.M. Shettar to furnish a bond of Rs.100,000 each and a surety for similar amount.
The three sought anticipatory bail as police attached to Lokayukta has registered a first information report (FIR) marking the formal launch of probe against them on a complaint by Shimoga advocate B. Vinod that they had acquired huge property in Shimoga by corrupt means.
In a recent raid on Eshwarappa’s residences in Bangalore and Shimoga, Lokayukta police had seized 1.9 kg of gold jewellery, 32 kg silver ornaments and over Rs.1 million in cash.
Eshwarappa said after the raid that all the property and jewellery were accounted for and he was confident that he would come out clean.
Eshwarappa is among the around 20 BJP legislators, including several ministers, facing corruption and illegal land deals cases.
