One held for planning to kill B'luru BJP MLA, Cong leader disappears

Bengaluru, Dec 6 (IANS) The Karnataka Police have arrested a real estate agent and launched a hunt for a Congress leader in connection with allegedly hatching a conspiracy to kill BJP MLA S.R. Vishwanath, police said on Tuesday.

The case was reinvestigated on court's order and the police again arrested the accused, who had been freed after the case was quashed by another court.

Devraj aka Kulla Devraj, a resident of Attur has been identified as the arrested person. The Congress leader M. Gopalakrishna, another accused in the case has disappeared, said the police.

BJP MLA Vishwanath had filed a private petition before the ACJM court and as per the directions of the court, Rajanukunte police initiated the action.

According to police, the allegations of hatching a conspiracy to kill the BJP MLA surfaced in 2021. A complaint was also lodged with the police and investigation was taken up.

Accused Congress leader Gopalakrishna had approached the court and got the case quashed.

However, Vishwanath appealed against the order and the court ordered re-investigation. The police filed a fresh FIR and started the probe.

MLA Vishwanath had stated that he had got a sealed post in 2021 to his home office which contained a pen drive. The drive contained footage of discussion between the accused persons on murdering him. He further stated the accused discussed about using rowdies to carry out the murder.

BJP MLA Vishwanath has maintained that when he was winning from the Yelahanka Assembly seat in Bengaluru, Congress leader Gopalakrishna, who was his opponent in the constituency, wanted him to be killed.