Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa, who had gone into hiding to escape arrest after the Lokayukta nabbed his son last week when he was allegedly accepting bribe on his father’s behalf.

Justice K Natarajan allowed the bail on condition that the MLA surrender before the investigating officers within two days.

The MLA, who is the first accused in the Lokayukta first information report, got a rousing reception in his assembly constituency of Channagiri in Davanagere district when he visited soon after hearing news about the bail.

The Lokayukta police had arrested the MLA’s son, Madal Prashanth, as he accepted ₹40 lakh in cash in return for a favour from his father. The MLA, till his son’s arrest, headed Karnataka Soaps & Detergents and the contractor wanted him to clear a tender for supply of raw materials to the state-run firm.

BJP has been mulling Virupakshappa’s expulsion, a sign of its “zero-tolerance” to corruption, said party functionaries. Congress announced a state-wide bandh on Thursday to protest alleged corruption in the government.