Bengaluru, 31 May

The State government on Friday constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the illegal money transfer case involving the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd. The four-member SIT team is headed by Manish Kharbikar, Additional Director General of Police, Economic Offences, at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Bengaluru.

The unauthorised transfer of Rs 88.62 crore from the Corporation’s bank account came to light after Accounts Superintendent at the Corporation Chandrashekhar P died by suicide on Sunday evening, leaving behind a note.

He has named the corporation's now suspended Managing Director J G Padmanabh, 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.

The Opposition BJP has demanded the resignation of Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister B Nagendra, following allegations against him in connection with the scam.

The SIT will probe the case registered by Chandrashekhar's wife at a police station in Vinoba Nagar in Shivamogga, on the basis of her complaint and the note left behind by her deceased husband. A Rajashekar, General Manager of the Corporation, has been accused of misuse of funds through the bank at the High Ground police station in Bengaluru.

"The government, considering both these cases and the seriousness of the financial irregularities at the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd, has decided to constitute a Special Investigation Team of the CID, which has technical expertise, for the probe, and has issued an order," the order said.

It has also ordered the state's Director General and Inspector General of Police to transfer all the related cases lodged or to be lodged at various police stations in the state to the SIT, and to add more members to the team if necessary.

The SIT has been asked to submit the probe report to the government through the Director General and Inspector General of Police at the earliest.