Bengaluru, Sep 24 (NationPress) The Karnataka High Court has requested a response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) concerning the temporary release of Congress MLA K.C. Veerendra for the Dussehra festival. The bench led by Justice M.I. Arun is reviewing a petition submitted by the legislator's spouse, R.D. Chaitra, who is asking for his release from custody for a duration of two to three days.

In her petition, Chaitra argues that the arrest of her husband, MLA Veerendra, was illegal and arbitrary, infringing upon his fundamental rights as outlined in Articles 19 and 21 of the Indian Constitution. The court has scheduled the verdict for October 8.

Chaitra's attorney pointed out that, given the Dussehra celebrations, it would be reasonable to release the MLA temporarily.

Opposing this, Additional Solicitor General Arvind Kamat, representing the ED, asserted that the accused should file a plea with the bail court.

At that moment, the bench interjected, suggesting that the counsel should consult with their officials since a short release of 2-3 days was being considered.

Following this short release, the individual could be returned to custody. The court noted that the judgment would be announced on October 8, and further instructions could be obtained in the meantime.

The court emphasized that while investigations must proceed without hindrance, detention should only occur when absolutely necessary prior to the investigation. It clarified that this petition falls under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and is distinct from a bail hearing.

Moreover, if the Enforcement Directorate (ED) consents, the court may permit a temporary release for a few days, contingent upon legal viability and the condition that the individual will surrender afterward.

Arvind Kamat has promised to gather instructions on this matter and present his arguments. The case is set for a hearing on September 26.

The court also instructed the involved parties to submit a synopsis related to the main petition, addressing the grounds for arrest and alleging that the ED did not apply its mind appropriately.

In context, the investigation into the illegal betting scandal by the ED has uncovered that Karnataka Congress MLA K.C. Veerendra and his associates amassed over Rs 2,000 crore through a unified gateway from various websites within a brief period.

The ED confirmed that on September 2, they conducted search operations at several locations in Bengaluru and Challekere under the provisions of PMLA, 2002, concerning Congress MLA K. C. Veerendra and related parties accused of deceiving the public through illegal online betting.

Searches were executed across 31 premises in Challekere, Bengaluru, Panaji, Gangtok, Jodhpur, Hubli, and Mumbai, as stated by the ED.

During previous searches, authorities seized Rs 12 crore in cash, gold jewelry valued at Rs 6 crore, approximately 10 kilograms of silver items, along with four vehicles, according to the ED.

Further inquiry has indicated that the accused operates multiple online betting platforms under names like King567, Raja567, and Lion567.

Additionally, it has been disclosed that numerous gateways were utilized to process payments gathered through these sites, as per the ED.

The funds amassed from these websites run by Veerendra and his associates through a single gateway alone exceed Rs 2,000 crore in a short timeframe, the ED reported.

Furthermore, Rs 55 crore has been marked for freezing, which includes Rs 40.69 crore across nine bank accounts and one Demat account belonging to MLA Veerendra, alongside Rs 14.46 crore identified in 262 mule accounts retrieved from one of the accused gateways used for routing funds collected by various gaming websites operated by Veerendra and his associates, according to the ED.