New Delhi, February 12 The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a plea filed by Karnataka BJP MLA B A Basavaraj challenging a high court order denying him anticipatory bail in a murder case.
"You are a public figure. You should instead adopt a courageous stance and state that I am prepared to face any kind of questioning," said Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, who headed the bench, which also included Justice Joymalya Bagchi.
Basavaraj has been named as one of the accused in the murder of Shivaprakash, also known as Bikla Shiva, on July 15, 2025.
After the top court indicated its unwillingness to entertain the plea, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Basavaraj, sought permission to withdraw the petition. The bench allowed the petitioner to withdraw the plea with the liberty to apply for regular bail.
"We request the concerned court to decide on the application for regular bail expeditiously," the bench said.
During the hearing, Rohatgi stated that the petitioner had no involvement in the murder. He argued that there was a property dispute, and there was absolutely no evidence to suggest that Basavaraj was involved.
"Land grabbers usually have political protection," the CJI observed.
The bench said that the court should be "extremely cautious" when considering an anticipatory bail application in a murder case.
Referring to some of the allegations, the bench said that these were matters of investigation.
In its order passed on February 10, the high court said, "Considering that granting anticipatory bail is an extraordinary relief that may be extended, the court believes that the political influence the petitioner wields, and noting that the deceased and his mother reside in the same constituency, there is a possibility that a fair investigation may be hampered, which may also be a reason to deny anticipatory bail."
