Published Aug 11, 2023 | 8:40 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 11, 2023 | 8:40 PM
N Chaluvarayaswamy Agricultural Minister
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) sleuths probing the “fake” complaint letter sent by post to the Governor’s office — the Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru — have learnt that the communication was recently sent from a post office in Saraswathipuram, a residential suburb in Mysuru city.
The letter claimed corruption in the Congress government in Karnataka, and purportedly came from the offices of the assistant agriculture directors (AAD) of the state’s Agriculture Department in the Mandya district. However, the AADs denied the charges.
Soon after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered the CID to take up a probe, the probe agency’s officials registered an FIR against the unidentified accused, booking them under IPC Sections 465 (forgery) and 469 (forgery for the purpose of harming reputation), and initiated its inquiries.
CID, Economic Offences and Special Units Director General of Police (DGP) MA Saleem confirmed as much to South First.
The FIR was based on a complaint from the Agriculture Department’s Mandya Joint Director Ashok VS, and the CID sleuths conducted their preliminary investigations by visiting the AADs’ office in Mandya on Thursday, 10 August.
The CID officials confirmed that the seven AADs had no involvement in the drafting of the letter that was sent to the Governor’s office.
The sleuths later headed to a post office in Saraswathipuram in Mysuru, from where the letter was said to have been posted. However, they were unlucky as the CCTV cameras at the post office were non-functional.
CID sources told South First that the investigation would further continue with the locating of other CCTV cameras in nearby buildings and facilities to identify visitors to the post office that day, and ruling out the improbable to thereby prepare a list of suspects.
“We will narrow down the list of suspects and zero in on the accused party,” CID sources added.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered on Wednesday a probe by the CID into the alleged “complaint letter” sent to Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot.
After a letter from Governor’s Secretary J Pradeep directing Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma to act on the letter on bribe-demand allegations went viral on social media on Monday, the Congress government — including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister for Agriculture N Cheluvarayaswamy — termed it a “fake letter”.
The Governor’s letter cited a communication from officials in the Agriculture Department of various taluks in Mandya, accusing Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy of demanding bribes.
The seven AADs — of Pandavapura, Malavalli, Mandya, Nagamangala, Madur, Srirangapatna, and Krishnarajapete — had allegedly written a letter to Gehlot complaining that the minister demanded ₹6-8 lakh bribe and was exerting pressure through the joint director of the department, stated the Governor’s Secretariat letter.
“If the authorities do not put an end to corruption, the officials stated they would consume poison along with their family members,” it added. “The complaints should be verified as per the laws, and act accordingly.”
Meanwhile, the Opposition BJP demanded the resignation of the agriculture minister over alleged bribe-demand allegations.
JD(S) leader and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel criticised the chief minister for defending his Cabinet colleague.
It was after all these that Ashok VS lodged a complaint with the Superintendent of Police (SP) of the Mandya district demanding an investigation into the fake complaint letter.
Ashok, however, insisted that none of the officials had written to the Governor, and termed the letter “fake”.
Chaluvarayaswamy, also the district in-charge minister of Mandya, denied demanding bribes and sought the chief minister to investigate the charges against him.
BJP workers sticking PayCS posters in Mandya on Thursday
This is the first instance of a serious allegation of corruption hitting the newly-sworn-in Congress government in Karnataka.
Meanwhile, BJP workers in Mandya started a “#PayCS” poster campaign targeting the agriculture minister.
However, the Mandya district police took preventive custody of the BJP workers who were involved in the poster campaign.
They also took away all the posters that were put up by the BJP workers in and around Sanjay Circle and near a bus stop in Mandya.
