'Kingpin' in Bengaluru bed allotment scam arrested

Babu is a close aide of an MLA from the ruling party

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths investigating the bed-allotment scam have arrested the suspected kingpin, said to be an aide of Bommanahalli BJP MLA Satish Reddy, and have taken him into custody till May 31.

According to the police, the arrested has been identified as Babu (34), a resident of Roopena Agrahara. Sources in the CCB revealed to DH that Babu acted as a broker.

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Babu had contacts with doctors and war room staff. The MLA’s name had surfaced soon after the scam came to light. However, officials are yet to confirm if the MLA had any role in the issue. Another suspected kingpin in the case is in hospital with Covid.

Sandeep Patil, joint commissioner of police (crime), said, “We will interrogate him on his contacts with doctors and war room staff.” Babu is an associate of Nethravati, who claims to be a social activist, and Rohit Kumar, her neighbour. The two have already been arrested.

A senior officer said Babu had dealings with Nethravati and Rohit. “Babu is also a BJP worker and used to go around the Bommanahalli constituency claiming to be the personal assistant of the MLA. We have collected evidence to prove that he has earned several lakhs by selling blocked beds. He had tested Covid-19 positive and was admitted to the hospital. We waited for his recovery and detained him on Monday,” the officer said.

Babu regularly visited the war room. “While Satish Reddy was trying to find beds for people, Babu gained access to the war room claiming to be Reddy’s close aide. We have gathered CCTV footage of his movements in the war room,” a CCB official said.

When IAS probationer V Yeshwant questioned his presence at the war room on April 30, Babu and his aides assaulted Yeshwant. A case was registered.