Former Karnataka minister and KR Puram BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj has been named as Accused No. 5 in the murder case of rowdy-sheeter Shivaprakash, alias Biklu Shiva. The shocking development surfaced after Shivaprakash’s mother, Vijayalakshmi, filed a complaint at the Bharathinagar Police Station.
According to her complaint, Shivaprakash was attacked by 8 to 9 assailants wielding machetes near Kithaganur. He had reportedly received multiple threats from the accused, including Basavaraj, Jagadeesh (A1), Kiran (A2), Vimal (A3), and Anil (A4). The complainant alleged that Basavaraj’s involvement and support enabled the murder. Notably, Shivaprakash had earlier filed a police complaint on February 21, 2025, against Jagadeesh and others. He claimed that after purchasing a plot near Kithaganur, he was pressured to sell it and faced life threats and monetary demands from the same group. An FIR had already been registered in that case.
The motive behind the murder appears to be linked to the land dispute. Shivaprakash’s mother has reiterated in her statement that her son had informed her several times about threats to his life and expressed fear that Basavaraj might be involved if anything happened to him. The inclusion of a sitting MLA in the FIR has sparked political ripples across the state, drawing attention to growing concerns over alleged political-criminal nexus. Police are investigating all angles, and further action is expected as the probe unfolds.