Dlife at 13:51, 29 April 2026

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{{Short description|Indian politician (born 1975)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox politician
|name = K. C. Veerendra
|party = [[Indian National Congress]]
| office = Member of the [[Karnataka Legislative Assembly]]
|constituency = [[Chitradurga Assembly constituency|Chitradurga]]
|term_start = 2023
|predecessor = [[G. H. Thippareddy]]
}}
'''K. C. Veerendra Puppy''' (born 1975) is an Indian politician from [[Karnataka]]. He is a member of the [[Karnataka Legislative Assembly]] from [[Chitradurga Assembly constituency]] in [[Chitradurga district]]. He won the [[2023 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election]] representing [[Indian National Congress]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=K C Veerendra Puppy in Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023 |url=https://www.news18.com/assembly-elections-2023/karnataka/k-c-veerendra-puppy-chitradurga-candidate-s10a099c012/ |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=News18 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Chitradurga Assembly Karnataka Election 2023 Results Live: Chitradurga constituency Results, Winner list and vote share {{!}} Hindustan Times |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/elections/karnataka-assembly-election/chitradurga-1091 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230524005858/https://www.hindustantimes.com/elections/karnataka-assembly-election/chitradurga-1091 |archive-date=24 May 2023 |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en-us |url-status=live }}</ref> In August 2025, he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate for his alleged role in online money betting and for money laundering.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2025-08-23 |title=Enforcement Directorate arrests Karnataka Congress MLA K.C. Veerendra in ‘illegal’ betting case |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/enforcement-directorate-arrests-karnataka-congress-mla-kc-veerendra-in-illegal-betting-case/article69967917.ece |access-date=2025-08-23 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Puppy is from [[Challakere]], Chitradurga district. His late father Kondlahalli was a farmer. He completed B.Com. in 1999 at HPPC Government First Grade College, which is affiliated with [[Kuvempu University]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=K.C.Veerendra Puppy(Indian National Congress(INC)):Constituency- CHITRADURGA(CHITRADURGA) - Affidavit Information of Candidate |url=https://www.myneta.info/Karnataka2023/candidate.php?candidate_id=7927 |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=www.myneta.info}}</ref>

== Career ==
Puppy won from [[Chitradurga Assembly constituency]] representing [[Indian National Congress]] in the [[2023 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election]]. He polled 122,021 votes and defeated his nearest rival, [[G. H. Thippareddy]] of [[Bharatiya Janata Party]], by a huge margin of 53,300 votes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-12 |title=Chitradurga Assembly Election results LIVE: KC Veerendra Puppy emerges victorious - CNBC TV18 |url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/politics/chitradurga-election-results-live-fight-between-jds-congress-bjp-16641781.htm |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=CNBCTV18 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Karnataka Election Results 2023 Constituency Wise Winning Candidates List |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/karnataka-election-results-2023-constituency-wise-winning-candidates-list |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-05 |title=Chitradurga: In Battle Of Turncoats, BJP MLA GH Thippareddy Take On Veerendra Pappy and Raghu Achar {{!}} Karnataka Constituency Watch |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/elections/chitradurga-assembly-constituency-watch-karnataka-election-2023-latest-news-congress-thippareddy-veerendra-pappy-raghu-achar-jds-bjp-article-100019359 |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=Times Now |language=en}}</ref>

On 23 August 2025, the [[Enforcement Directorate|Directorate of Enforcement]] arrested him from [[Gangtok]], Sikkim, in connection with his alleged role in a case involving, now illegal, offline and online betting.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kumari |first=Anushka |date=23 August 2025 |title=Rs 12 Crore Cash, Cars With Same VIP Numbers: Congress MLA Arrested In Betting Racket |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/rs-12-crore-cash-cars-with-same-vip-numbers-congress-mla-k-c-veerendra-puppy-arrested-in-illegal-betting-racket-9145008 |access-date=23 August 2025 |website=NDTV}}</ref> On 22 August, ED launched a raid at 31 locations and reportedly Rs.12 crores were recovered in cash and foreign currency.<ref name=":0" /> Raids were also held in [[Goa]] on some of the casino's including Puppy's Casino Gold, Ocean Rivers Casino and Big Daddy Casino.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Karnataka Crime: ED Arrests Congress MLA Veerendra ‘Puppy’ in Betting Case, Rs 12 Crore Seized |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/ed-arrests-karnataka-congress-mla-veerendra-puppy-in-illegal-online-and-offline-betting-case-recover-rs-12-crore-in-cash-3694144 |access-date=2025-08-23 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}</ref> In August 2025, the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, was passed in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha cleared it the next day. The bill puts an end to online money gaming in India.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-08-21 |title=Online Gaming Bill 2025 passed in Lok Sabha: Ban on real money gaming; boost for esports |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/123410053.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst |access-date=2025-08-23 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Puppy, K. C. Veerendra}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1975 births]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Karnataka MLAs 2023–2028]]
[[Category:People from Chitradurga district]]
[[Category:Kannada people]]

K. C. Veerendra Puppy - Revision history

Dlife at 13:51, 29 April 2026