Ex-corporator booked for allegedly threatening BJP MLA Gopalaiah

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The city police have booked an FIR against a congress leader on Wednesday for allegedly threatening a BJP MLA from the Mahalakshmi Layout constituency here.

The Kamakshipalya Police in Bengaluru have registered a case and initiated an investigation against Padmaraj, a Congress leader and former corporator in Bengaluru.

The action was taken after the BJP MLA and former minister K Gopalaiah alleged intimidation from ex-Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) corporator Padmaraj on the floor of the Assembly prompting the Speaker UT Khader to direct police to arrest the accused person.

The ex-corporator was later arrested by Kamakshipalya Police where a case has been registered by Gopalaiah.

Gopalaiah on the floor of the Assembly alleged that he received a phone call from Padmaraj, ex-corporator of Basaveshwara Nagar in Bengaluru, and abused him and issued intimidation to his family members besides demanding money from him.

The BJP MLA said the police have not acted against the accused person despite a couple of complaints having been lodged against him at the police station.

He further alleged that Padmaraj also troubled former minister and BJP MLA Suresh Kumar representing Rajajinagar Assembly seat in Bengaluru.

Suresh Kumar and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka also alleged that they too were harassed by Padmaraj and wanted suitable action against him.

Speaker UT Khader stated that the concerns expressed by MLAs were serious in nature.

Prior to entering the Assembly, Gopalaiah told reporters that he received a call from Padmaraj at around 11 pm on Tuesday in which he received intimidation and spoke to him for about 6 –minutes before he disconnected the call to lodge a complaint with the Kamakshipalya police.

However after the police took Padmaraj into custody, the accused stated to the police that it was Gopalaiah who had abused him first and had borrowed Rs 15 lakh from him.

Padmaraj told the police he made a phone call to Gopalaiah asking him to return his money back.

Later in the day, the 36th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court in the city granted bail to the accused Padmaraj in connection with the case.