New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain an anticipatory bail petition filed by Karnataka BJP MLA Byrathi Basavaraj in connection with the murder of rowdy-sheeter Shivaprakash, alias Biklu Shiva. The court advised the legislator to surrender and seek regular bail instead.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi declined to grant pre-arrest protection and indicated that the accused, being a public representative, should face the legal process.
The development comes amid an intensified search by the Karnataka Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is probing the murder case.
“Public servant should face trial,” says CJI
New Delhi proceedings saw the Bench take a firm view on the anticipatory bail plea. According to court reporting, the Chief Justice observed that an elected representative must be prepared to face investigation and trial.
“Since you are a public servant, you should be courageous enough and face the trial,” the CJI said during the hearing.
The Bench suggested that instead of seeking anticipatory bail, Basavaraj should move the appropriate court with an application for regular bail after submitting to jurisdiction.
Court flags contradictions in defence stand
During the hearing, the judges also questioned the stand taken by the MLA regarding his alleged links to a prime accused in the case.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that the defence had taken an evasive position by claiming that Basavaraj did not know the main accused at all, while call detail records suggested otherwise.
“We would have granted you anticipatory bail, but you have taken an evasive stand that you don’t know him at all. Your call records show otherwise,” the judge remarked, as per court reports.
The Bench indicated that such contradictions weakened the case for pre-arrest relief.
Case relates to murder of Biklu Shiva
New Delhi court records note that Basavaraj is among the accused in the Biklu Shiva murder case. The victim, Shivaprakash alias Biklu Shiva, a known rowdy-sheeter, was murdered in front of his residence on July 15, 2025.
Investigators have linked the killing to a land dispute, stating that multiple assailants were involved in the attack. The murder triggered a major investigation and multiple arrests in the months that followed.
Basavaraj’s name surfaced during the course of the probe, leading to legal proceedings and his anticipatory bail applications before various courts.
High Court had earlier rejected plea
Before approaching the Supreme Court, Basavaraj had moved the Karnataka High Court seeking anticipatory bail. The High Court rejected his plea, after which he approached the apex court for relief.
With the Supreme Court now refusing to entertain the anticipatory bail petition, the option left open to the MLA is to surrender before the jurisdictional court and apply for regular bail.
Legal experts say the Supreme Court’s oral observations may weigh on subsequent bail hearings, though each court will independently assess the merits of a regular bail plea.
CID intensifies search operations
Meanwhile, the Karnataka CID has stepped up efforts to trace and secure the presence of Basavaraj in connection with the case. Investigation teams are said to be conducting follow-up searches and coordinating across units.
Officials have not publicly detailed operational steps but confirmed that the probe is continuing and further procedural action will follow as per law.
Conclusion
The Supreme Court’s refusal to grant anticipatory bail marks a significant turn in the Biklu Shiva murder case involving MLA Byrathi Basavaraj. With both the High Court and Supreme Court declining pre-arrest protection, the focus now shifts to whether the legislator will surrender and seek regular bail as advised by the apex court.