In a video posted by the BRS, KTR detailed the connections between the alleged scam and multiple bank accounts in Telangana.
Published Aug 25, 2024 | 4:27 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 26, 2024 | 11:46 AM
KTR alleges favouritism by Telangana CM Revanth Reddy
The alleged scam in the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation in Karnataka is making headlines in Telangana too. BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) is accusing the state unit of the Congress of benefitting from the embezzled funds.
With this, BRS in Telangana joins BJP in Karnataka to put the Congress governments in their respective states in a spot over the irregularities in the Valmiki corporation.
In a video posted on X, KTR detailed the connections between the alleged scam and multiple bank accounts in Telangana. He demanded clarification from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the issue, further calling the Telangana government corrupt.
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, ₹187.33 crore of public funds were embezzled from Karnataka’s state-owned Valmiki Corporation in Karnataka.
The illegal money transfer case came to light after P Chandrashekar — accounts superintendent at the Corporation — died by suicide. In a purported suicide note, he said some officials had pressured him to transfer crores of money to an unofficial account.
In the six-page suicide note accessed by South First, he had levelled allegations of corruption to the tune of ₹88 crore against the KMVSTDC’s Managing Director, Accountant, and the manager of Union Bank of India’s MG Road branch.
The investigation began after two FIRs were filed by the Karnataka Police, the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) following the tragic suicide of Chandrashekhar on 26 May this year.
The death note revealed the unauthorised transfer of ₹187 crore belonging to the Corporation from its bank account, and from that, ₹88.62 crore was illegally moved to various accounts allegedly belonging to “well-known” IT companies and a Hyderabad-based cooperative bank.
Chandrashekhar had named the Corporation’s now suspended Managing Director JG Padmanabha, accounts officer Parashuram G Durugannavar, and Union Bank of India Chief Manager Suchismita Rawal in the note, while also stating that “the minister” had issued oral orders for transferring the funds.
Despite the initial chargesheet not mentioning specific politicians, former state minister Nagendra was arrested by the ED.
The SIT made 12 arrests in the case so far and recovered about ₹50 crores. They recovered ₹16.8 crore in cash, gold worth ₹11.7 crore, cars with ₹4.5 crores, and an additional ₹16.8 crores from various bank accounts.
Over ₹88.6 crore of the total ₹187.3 crore was transferred to over 217 different bank accounts in Telangana including 18 firms.
In June, the third arrest by the SIT in the case came in the form of Satyanarayana Itakari, chairman of First Finance Credit Co-Operative Society Limited. Satyanarayana Varma and Chandra Mohan, two middlemen opened 18 new accounts in this bank, diverting about ₹90 crore to Telangana.
Additionally, the SIT recovered about ₹8 crore from a residence related to Varma, marking the first recovery in the scam. Subsequently, Saitej, an associate of Varma was also arrested.
Soon, the ED revealed that the funds were diverted to about 18 accounts in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, it was used to purchase liquor during the elections.
Most recently, the SIT found documentation listing the purchase of 11 flats, all related to Varma. The arrests include Pittala Srivasa from Hyderabad and Khakhi Srinivasa Rao from Andhra Pradesh.
KTR accused the Telangana Congress of deliberately suppressing the media to cover their part in the scam.
“About nine different accounts in Telangana received ₹45 Crores, pulling on this string is stressing the Congress out,” he stated.
He displayed records of ₹4.5 crore transferred to V6 Business Solutions and questioned who the owners were.
“During the 2024 general elections, a lot of money and gold was seized from bars in Telangana. We need to understand who owned them and how they were related to the Congress,” he posited.
Recently, Karnataka Public Works Minister Satish Jarikholi stated that forcing Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to resign would trigger a ripple effect causing Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to forfeit his chief ministership.
KTR alleged that this indicates a conspiracy between the Karnataka and Telangana Congress. “The truth about this scam will come to light soon,” he stated. Adding that 11 people were arrested in the scam, he suspected the embezzled funds were used for election campaigning.
“Rahul Gandhi, who makes much ado about various scams in the parliament, should issue a clarification regarding the Telangana Government,” he demanded.
He further raised suspicions regarding the ED’s silence on the issue, questioning who was playing the Telangana Congress’ protector.
“With the recoveries and arrests taking place in Telangana, it remains to be seen if the mainstream media will pick the issue back up. However, with the Telangana Congress in hot water regarding its farm loan waiver controversy, they must issue a clarification,” the former state minister added.
✳️ కర్ణాటకలో జరిగిన భారీ వాల్మీకి కుంభకోణంతో తెలంగాణ కాంగ్రెస్ నాయకులకు లింక్!
✳️ హైదరాబాద్లోని 9 మంది బ్యాంకు ఖాతాదారులకు వాల్మీకి కార్పొరేషన్ డబ్బు రూ. 45 కోట్లు బదిలీ చేశారు. అవి ఎవరి అకౌంట్లు?
✳️ “V6 బిజినెస్” యజమాని ఎవరు, ఈ ఖాతాకు రూ. 4.5 కోట్లు ఎందుకు బదిలీ చేశారు?
✳️… pic.twitter.com/0X1DiQIh4b
— KTR (@KTRBRS) August 25, 2024
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)
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