The police investigation into the MANMUL milk powder adulteration case has taken a new turn with the arrest of former Mandya District Milk Union (MANMUL) chairman Ummadahalli Shivappa.
According to the information available, Maddur police arrested Shivappa on Monday night after investigators found prima facie indications of his alleged involvement in the case. He will be present in the Maddur court today.
The arrest comes after allegations made by the prime accused in the case, Pradeep Kumar Jadhav, who alleged that Shivappa had a role in the alleged irregularities.
Shivappa questioned following allegations
Shivappa's name was under the police scanner during the investigation after allegations about his alleged involvement in the case came up.
An audio recording, in which Shivappa was reported to have spoken with a director, had also been part of the investigation. The allegations in the case were that Shivappa could have been involved in the alleged irregularities.
However, the contents and evidentiary value of the audio recording will be investigated and subjected to legal scrutiny.
Jadhav taken into custody for further questioning
Earlier, police took Pradeep Kumar Jadhav, identified as the A1 accused in the case, back into custody after having him taken out from judicial custody for further interrogation.
As part of the investigation, police conducted a face-to-face interrogation of Jadhav and Shivappa.
Jadhav alleged that Shivappa had made direct accusations about the irregularities during the questioning. There was also a verbal clash between the two during the questioning.
After the interrogation and the information gathered during the investigation, Maddur police proceeded to arrest Shivappa.
Six arrested so far
Before Shivappa's arrest, police had reportedly arrested five people in connection with the alleged milk powder adulteration case.
The total number of persons arrested in the case has now increased to six since the arrest of the former MANMUL chairman.
The police are investigating each of the accused to determine the circumstances surrounding the alleged irregularities.
Court appearance likely today
Shivappa is expected to be produced in Maddur court today, after his arrest on Monday night. The court will decide his custody and the investigation.
The police will then present all of the information gathered during the investigation to the court and pursue further steps according to law.
The allegations against Shivappa and the other accused are yet to be established through the judicial process. More investigation and court proceedings will give clarity on the milk powder adulteration and the role of those named in the case.
The latest arrest has drawn more attention to the MANMUL case as the former chairman has now been placed in the frame as part of the investigation.
