The High Court has refused to quash the FIR against the bribe givers in the Karnataka Soap and Detergent Corporation (KSDL) corruption scandal. The owner of Karnataka Aromas and two employees had filed a separate application seeking cancellation of the case registered by the Lokayukta police against former MLA Madal Virupakshappa for bribery in the tender scam. The bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna, which heard these petitions, dismissed the petition based on this opinion. It has been opined that the scourge of corruption should be nipped in the bud by targeting the bribe takers as well as the bribe givers. An amendment to the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2018 said that both bribe takers and bribe givers should be subject to the same investigation. Also, in this case, two applicants were carrying money bags worth Rs 45 lakh. Further, investigation revealed that the first accused was sitting in the office. The bench said that an inquiry should be conducted to find out why he was there and where the huge amount of money came from. Similarly, the court rejected the petition citing the words of American philosopher Ayn Randa, the law does not protect the corrupt. If the law protects the corrupt, the country will go to ruin. Karnataka Aromas owners Kailash S Raj, Vinay S Raj and Chetan Marlecha along with staff members Albert Nichols and Gangadhar had offered to bribe Madal Prashant, the chief accountant of the water board, son of Madal Virupakshappa, the company’s chairman, to supply chemicals to KSDL. On this occasion, the Lokayukta police raided and took the accused into custody. At this time, the Lokayukta police had registered a case that the petitioners Albert Nicholas and Gangadhar were transporting money.
