Karnataka High Court issues notice to MLA KC Veerendra on ED plea seeking cancellation of Bail
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has issued notice to MLA K.C. Veerendra on a petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking cancellation of the bail granted to him in an alleged online and offline betting case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The petition challenges the December 30, 2025 order of the Special Court for elected representatives, which had granted bail to Veerendra.
The matter came up for hearing before a single-judge bench of Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav on Thursday. Appearing for the ED, counsel submitted that the agency has sought cancellation of the bail granted to Veerendra by the special court. After hearing the submissions, the court issued notice to Veerendra and adjourned the matter to February 26 for further hearing.
On August 22 and 23, 2025, officials of the Enforcement Directorate’s Bengaluru zonal office conducted searches at 31 locations across the country, including in Chitradurga, Bengaluru, Hubballi, Jodhpur, Gangtok, Mumbai and Goa. The searches were carried out in connection with alleged illegal offline and online betting operations at casinos such as Pappi Casino Gold, Ocean Rivers Casino, Pappies Casino Pride, Ocean 7 Casino and Big Daddy Casino.
During the searches, the ED claimed to have found that Veerendra Pappi was allegedly operating multiple betting websites under names such as King 567 and Raja 567. The agency also stated that Veerendra’s brother, K.C. Tippeswamy, was running three companies namely Diamond Softtech, TRS Technologies and Prime9 Technologies from Dubai.
According to the ED, assets seized during the searches included Rs 12 crore in cash, foreign currency worth Rs 1 crore, gold jewellery valued at Rs 6 crore, 10 kilograms of silver and four vehicles. In addition, 17 bank accounts and two lockers were frozen under the PMLA.
Veerendra Pappi was arrested on August 23 while he was reportedly in Gangtok, Sikkim, to secure a casino contract. The ED later filed a chargesheet against him before the special court on October 18.
After remaining in judicial custody, Veerendra was granted bail by the Special Court for elected representatives on December 30, 2025. Challenging that order, the ED has now approached the High Court seeking cancellation of the bail.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Min. Priyank Kharge to expresses concern over implementation of VB-G Ram G
Bengaluru: Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Priyank Kharge has expressed concern over the uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the proposed VB-G Ram G scheme, stating that the MNREGA programme, which has been a lifeline for rural India for nearly two decades, appears to be facing an uncertain future.
Speaking to media, Kharge said that as March 31 draws to a close, there is no clarity on the rollout of the new scheme from April 1. He pointed out that the central government has not yet issued the necessary guidelines for implementing the scheme for rural workers and villages.
He criticised the Centre for its lack of preparedness, stating that there is no clarity on fund allocation, no final parameters for classifying gram panchayats, and key processes such as social audits have not been defined.
Kharge said the situation comes at a critical time, as summer marks a peak period for rural employment demand, when many people depend heavily on wage employment for their livelihood.
He added that reports have emerged of delays in approvals and families not receiving work despite demand.
He further alleged that the Centre’s move to shift from a statutory employment guarantee to a rule-based allocation system is already showing negative consequences.
Kharge also raised concerns over provisions such as a mandatory 60-day halt during agricultural seasons, which he said would further limit employment opportunities for rural workers.
The BJP-led central government had claimed that the new scheme would transform rural India, but in reality it is turning out to be detrimental to people’s livelihoods, he said.
“The crisis in rural India due to the stalling of MNREGA is beginning to unfold. Given the Centre’s past record in handling such situations, there is growing concern over the impact on rural livelihoods,” Kharge said.
