Karnataka’s Lokayukta, the state’s anti-corruption agency, on Friday arrested the son of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa while he was ‘accepting bribes’ from a contractor ‘on behalf of his father.’ Virupakshappa quit as chairman of public sector undertaking Karnataka Soaps and Detergents following the arrest.

The Lokayukta raids happened on the day home minister Amit Shah kicked off BJP’s campaign in Karnataka. Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, however, said the incident showed the autonomous nature of Lokayukta. The anti-corruption agency said it seized around Rs 6 crore from Virupakshappa junior’s home and Rs 2 crore from his office on Lavelle Road, Bengaluru. The MLA’s son is a senior official at the city’s water supply utility, BWSSB, and was ‘caught red-handed’ while accepting Rs 40 lakh bribe from contractor Shreyas Kashyap of Chemixil Corporation. The ‘bribe’ was for a contract to supply raw materials to KSDL which makes Mysore Sandal soap, among other products.

Lokayukta chief Justice BS Patil who supervised the operation said his team arrested five people in the case. Both father and son have been named, among others. The Lokayukta also conducted searches at other locations, including Virupakshappa’s hometown Channagiri, the constituency he represents.

The MLA alleged the raid was a ‘conspiracy’ against him and his family.