Daijiworld Media Network - Chikkamagaluru (RJP)
Chikkamagaluru, Feb 19: BJP has maintained profound silence over the arrests made by police here relating to cricket betting here. Out of the ten arrested, most of them are BJP cadres.
Six persons were arrested initially. In a curious development, police arrested four persons including city unit president of BJP Yuva Morcha on Friday February 17.
District superintendent of police, K Annamalai has said that he will find out details of 40 persons involved with a WhatsApp group linked with betting activity. He also revealed that a cell phone has been sent to Hyderabad for forensic tests to determine their names and addresses.
The foursome arrested on Friday are Kanchan Gowda alias Rocky (28), president of BJP Yuva Morcha's city unit, owner of Green Hotel and financier, Girish (36), Shivadath (43), resident of Vijayapura extension, and Chetan Shet alias Santhu Katte (34) from Rajeshwari Nagara extension, Bengaluru.
So far the police have recovered Rs 2.13 lac in cash, a laptop, a car and 16 cell-phones from the accused.
BJP municipal councillor, Ravi Kumar alias Kayi Ravi (40), Prashant (34) from Kote extension, Abhishek (28) from Hirekolale village, Venkatesh (42), resident of Naidu Street, Afzal (30) from Andechatra, and Mohan (34) from Market Road, were the persons arrested earlier. They have been since then remanded to judicial custody.
Accused Kanchan Gowda with MLA C T Ravi
Photos of Kanchan Gowda photographed in the company of MLA C T Ravi, MP Shobha Karandlaje and a Swamiji are being circulated through social media now. The fact that several BJP activists are getting arrested in this case has come as a shocker for the BJP leaders from the district including C T Ravi.
"The accused are innocent till proven guilty. Party disciplinary committee will deal with matter and come to a decision soon," said Ravi when asked why no action has been taken against the BJP cadres who have been arrested.
It is said that most of the accused had no known income, but amassed lot of wealth through cricket betting.
BJP which has been targetting the state government on corruption, is yet to come with a statement on the involvement of its cadres in the cricket betting.