The ED officials allegedly threatened the complainant that unless he implicates CM Siddaramaiah, he would not get bail for two years
Published Jul 22, 2024 | 10:21 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 22, 2024 | 10:28 PM
Enforcement Directorate.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against two officials of the Enforcement Directorate, on charges of pressurising the Social Welfare Department to falsely implicate Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others in the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation (MVSTDC) Ltd.
Bengaluru’s Department of Social Welfare’s Additional Director B Kallesh filed a complaint before the Seshadripuram Police Station on 22 July and it was subsequently the case was transferred to the Wilson Garden Police Station.
AD Kallesh alleged that the two ED officials not only threatened and abused him but also pressurised to name the Chief Minister, MLA B Nagendra and the Finance Department in the alleged money laundering scam involving Valmiki.
It may be noted that on 18 July, Siddaramaiah’s cabinet ministers including Santosh Lad, Priyank Kharge and Krishna Byre Gowda had alleged that the ED and the CBI had taken over the probe of the Valmiki scam to destabilise the Congress government.
The alleged scam came to light after MVSTDC’s Superintendent P Chandrasekaran died by suicide, alleging in his suicide note misappropriation of funds to the tune of ₹85 crore on 26 May.
The Bengaluru police filed an FIR against two Enforcement Directorate officials on 22 July, based on a complaint by B Kallesh, Additional Director of the Department of Social Welfare.
The social welfare department officer has accused the ED’s Indian Revenue Service official Mittal and Additional Director Murali Kannan in his complaint.
In the complaint, AD Kallesh alleged: “The Enforcement Directorate is conducting an investigation into Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation’s illegal money laundering case. I was asked to attend the enquiry pertaining to this case on 16 July.”
“Accordingly, I had gone to the Enforcement Directorate office at Shantinagar and my statement was recorded by ED’s Assistant Director Murali Kannan. I was asked 17 questions and answered all the questions. Among the 17 questions that were asked, I told them that I require a file to answer three questions. Kannan asked me to come on July 18, 2024. After the hearing, they took a signature on my statement. When I asked them to give me a copy of my statement, they did not provide,” highlighted the Social Welfare Department official.
#Karnataka: An FIR has been filed against two Enforcement Directorate officials, Mittal and Murali Kannan, for allegedly threatening Social Welfare Department Additional Director Kallesh B.
They reportedly pressured him to implicate former minister @BNagendraINC and the Finance…
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) July 22, 2024
He explained further: “Then, they questioned me again. But this time no written questions were provided. They said transferring money to the MG Road branch is wrong. Then I replied that I had prepared a bill as per government order and deposited it on March 25, 2024, but from this account illegal money was transferred on March 5, 2024. Hence, I said that I have not indulged in any irregularities,” he added.
The ED officials allegedly threatened and stated that he would not get bail for two years. He further pointed: “The enquiry officials said that the ED will help me out if I make a statement that the amount has been transferred on the directions of former minister Nagendra, the highest authority of the government, and the Finance Department. If I fail, I will be arrested.”
In his complaint, AD Kallesh has alleged that the ED officials pressured him to name the Chief Minister, Nagendra, and the FD officials in the Valmiki Scam. Kallesh pointed: “Murali Kannan sent me to Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Mittal. Mittal abused me, stating that I am an offender. I will be arrested. I am not aware of the ED. I won’t get bail for two to three years.”
He elaborated: “He said that he had gone through my statements. It won’t help. I was being pressured to write that I had transferred money to the MG Road branch on the instruction of the Chief Minister, Nagendra, and the Finance Department. I was not only abused but also threatened that I would be jailed for seven years. Then, Mittal called Kannan to his chamber. Again, the two officials asked the same question. They kept on pressuring me to admit that there was an instruction from the Chief Minister, Nagendra, and FD, otherwise, they said that they would arrest me right away, creating a dreadful atmosphere.”
“Murali Kannan said that I will not be arrested; instead when I come again on July 18, 2024, I will be arrested. I have not done anything wrong, I have been illegally interrogated, scolded, and threatened by Mittal and Kannan,” the Additional Director demanded legal action against the ED officials.
Meanwhile Bengaluru Special Court for People’s Representatives remanded former minister and MLA B Nagendra to judicial custody till 4 August, 2024.
Nagendra was arrested by the ED officials in connection to the alleged irregularities to the tune of Rs 90 crore in the MVSTDC case on 12 July, 2024. He was arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
#Karnataka: #Bengaluru’s Special Court for People’s Representatives remanded former @INCKarnataka
Minister & MLA @BNagendraINC to the judicial custody till 3 August, 2024.The Enforcement Directorate has taken Nagendra into custody in connection to the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled… pic.twitter.com/8nRGhO8k8Z
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) July 22, 2024
The ED personnel produced him before the court as his judicial custody was ending on 22 July, 2024. Special Court judge Santosh Gajanan Bhat remanded the former Congress minister to judicial custody for 14 days. After he was named in the Valmiki scam, Nagendra tendered his resignation for the cabinet posts on 6 June, 2024.
(Edited by Neena)
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