ED custody of MLA Veerendra extended by four days

Special Court of Magistrate for criminal cases against former and present MPs and MLAs on Thursday granted four more days of custody of K.C. Veerendra, MLA for Chitradurga from Congress, after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials made a submission that they needed more time to probe the betting sites and apps run by the accused who was allegedly operating an illegal betting operation worth several thousand crores of rupees.

Mr. Veerendra was arrested by the ED on August 23 in Gangtok, Sikkim. As the custody of the accused ended on Thursday, the officials produced him before the court, seeking an extension of 15 more days of custody, stating that a detailed investigation into more betting apps and websites, suspected to be run by the accused, requires additional time.

Objecting to the ED seeking extension of custody, advocates for the accused argued that he is cooperating with the investigation, and he was already in the ED custody for 11 days and should be remanded to judicial custody.

After the court granted four more days of custody to ED till September 8, Mr. Veerendra, through his advocates, demanded home food and that he should not be interrogated late at night. The judge, while passing the order, said that the medical facility, hygienic food and other conditions which were laid down in the previous order remain the same.