Custody of Chitradurga MLA KC Veerendra ‘Puppy’ extended to Sept 4

Bengaluru: The custody of Chitradurga MLA KC Veerendra ‘Puppy', who was arrested by the directorate of enforcement (ED) officials in an illegal betting case linked to money laundering, was extended till Sept 4.ED arrested Veerendra on Aug 23 from Gangtok, Sikkim, and brought to him to Bengaluru on Aug 24 on transit remand. He was produced at a judge's residence in Koramangala and was sent to ED custody for five days. On Thursday, he was presented before the special court for people's representatives, which granted his custody to the ED for another six days. ED special public prosecutor Pramod Chandra informed the court that the accused was running an illegal business. During searches conducted in around 31 locations including in Bengaluru, Hubballi, Chitradurga, Goa, Gangtok, and Mumbai, ED found documents related to business in foreign countries. Many people participated in betting through the apps owned by Veerendra and others. A few of these managed to escape during searches. Therefore, the accused needs to remain in ED custody for investigation, Chandra told the court. Senior advocate Kiran S Javali appeared on behalf of Veerendra and requested the court to grant him bail, citing the grounds of arrest were not properly mentioned by the ED. The lawyer also accused the ED of interrogating Veerendra until 3am and not allowing him to rest properly. The judge directed ED officials to provide basic needs to Veerendra, including medicines and proper rest, before extending his custody for six days.