Overview
- Hours after the Karnataka High Court denied pre-arrest relief on February 10, the Supreme Court on February 12 declined to intervene, with the MLA withdrawing his plea and receiving liberty to seek regular bail only after surrendering.
- The High Court canceled interim protection granted in December and cited the need for custodial interrogation, noting prima facie material including call records, location data, and photographs that the prosecution says the MLA must explain.
- The CID has formed special teams, issued a Look Out Circular, and launched a search for the legislator following the High Court order, with officials preparing for his custody once he presents himself or is traced.
- Investigators told the courts that call detail records and geo-mapping show the MLA’s frequent contact and shared movements with key accused, including a joint trip to the Kumbh Mela in February 2025, and alleged he misled police about these ties.
- Nineteen of 20 accused have been arrested and charge sheets filed against most, while the High Court’s December quashing of KCOCA in the case remains under challenge in the Supreme Court without a stay and with limited precedential effect.