Yeddyurappa's PA Santosh gets advance bail in kidnap case

A local court here on Saturday granted  anticipatory bail to N R Santosh who is accused of attempting to abduct Vinay, the personal assistant of Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council K S Eshwarappa.

Santosh is BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa’s relative and personal assistant.

Santosh has been at large ever since Mahalakshmi Layout police registered a case against him on May 11 based on a complaint lodged by  Vinay.

The police had issued a look-out notice for Santosh.

In the complaint, Vinay had alleged that an eight-member gang tried to abduct him near Iskcon temple.

The 62nd Sessions Court judge, while granting conditional anticipatory bail, directed Santosh to appear before the investigating officer within 30 days. The court directed him not to leave Bengaluru without prior permission from the court and the police.

The judge directed him to cooperate with the police and not tamper with evidence.

The abduction bid reportedly occurred over personal rivalry between Santosh and Vinay. It was claimed that Vinay had a CD showing Santosh in a compromising position with a model who had reportedly given the CD to Vinay after her relationship with Santosh soured.

Santosh had directed BJP Yuva Morcha leader Rajendra Urs to hire a history-sheeter to abduct Vinay and recover the CD.

On July 11, the HAL police arrested Prashanth, a history-sheeter, in Kolar in connection with the case. Prashanth had reportedly claimed that he had acted at the behest of Santosh and had even met Santosh at Yeddyurappa's Dollar’s Colony residence.

On July 14 midnight, the police searched Yeddyurappa’s Dollars Colony residence based on reports that Santosh was hiding there.

In a petition to Bengaluru city police commissioner, Yeddyurappa had objected to searches at his residence at midnight.

He suspected that the police were determined to fix Santosh in the case. He had expressed concern that fake evidence could be created with malafide intentions against Santosh. Yeddyurappa had stated that the police had forced Urs to name Santosh as the conspirator.

Amruthesh N P, advocate, too filed a petition before the city police commissioner seeking registration of a case against Yeddyurappa for intervening in the investigation.