The court has granted bail to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who are facing a legal conflict in a defamation case filed by the BJP, accusing them of corruption during the last assembly elections.
BJP MLC and General Secretary Keshav Prasad had filed the defamation case against Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. During the assembly elections, the then-BJP government fixed the rates for various posts. Alleging that 40 percent of the commission was charged for execution of all public works, Congress also published a 'corruption rate card' against the former government. The saffron party had accused the Congress of putting out false advertisements against BJP party leaders. The case stemmed from allegations of false advertisements against BJP leaders, including the former Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai. Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, and Rahul Gandhi faced charges.
A defamation case was filed. The trial of this case was held in the court. Today, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC President D. K. Shivakumar asked the City People's Court Judge K.N. Sivakumar appeared before him and the judge granted bail to both of them. In this case, Rahul Gandhi has not been able to attend the trial. Rahul's lawyer Nitishkumarshetty pleaded for an exemption.
Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar appeared before the 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in person today. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar who came to the court were told to sit in the public prosecutor's room, but these two leaders said no and waited until they shouted their names outside the court like common people. Sitting was special. The objector had filed a private complaint for defamation under Section 499 and 500 IPC in the People's Court.