Bengaluru, 7 June

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has accepted the resignation tendered by Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister B Nagendra with immediate effect, the Raj Bhavan said on Friday. Nagendra quit on Thursday amid allegations of illegal transfer of money from a state-run Corporation.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had recommended to the Governor to accept the resignation, a Raj Bhavan communiqué said.

In connection with the misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs 87 crore by committing fraud through illegal transfer in Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited, its employee Chandrashekhar P had died by suicide and in his death note, he had seriously complained about the pressure on him from higher level to transfer the funds, the communique said.

Both the state government and CBI have filed separate FIRs in this regard, it said. Nagendra, also Youth Empowerment and Sports Minister, was allegedly involved in the fraud case of the Corporation, the communique said. -PTI