BENGALURU, 5 AUG

Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the misappropriation of funds from State-run Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation has filed a preliminary chargesheet mentioning the arrest of 12 people and the seizure of Rs 49.96 crore in the case, police said on Monday. But former minister B Nagendra, who resigned over the scam, was not named in the chargesheet.

The Opposition BJP and JD(S) have been demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the scam. The corporation's former officials including ex-managing director JG Padmanabha and ex-accounts officer Parashuram Durgannanavar; First Finance Credit Co-operative Society Limited Chairman Sathyanarayana Etakari; Nekkunte Nagaraj, an acquaintance of former minister Nagendra; and brother-in-law of Nekkunte Nagaraj Nageshwar Rao are among the 12 arrested, police said. The other arrested are M Chandramohan from Hyderabad; Gadiraju Satyanarayana Varma from Hyderabad; GK Jagadish from Shivamogga; Teja Thammaiah from Bengaluru; Pittala Srinivasa from Andhra Pradesh; Saiteja from Hyderabad and Khaki Srinavasa Rao from Andhra Pradesh.

According to the chargesheet, a total of eight cases have been registered at High Grounds Police Station in connection with the scam. “The Investigating Officer of SIT has filed a preliminary chargesheet containing seven volumes and 3,072 pages in Case No. 118/2024 against the accused under sections of the IPC, including 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating and thereby dishonestly inducing delivery of property) in 3rd ACMM (Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court), Bengaluru," police said.

SIT had seized cash, gold and other materials from the accused. The total seizure made during the course of the investigation is Rs 49.96 crore, which includes Rs 16.83 crore cash and 16.25kg of gold valued at Rs 11.7 crore. The total value of the luxury cars Lamborghini Urus and Mercedes Benz seized is Rs 4.51 crore, and the investigating officer’s bank account with Rs 3.19 crore seized and the amount in frozen accounts add up to Rs 13.72 crore.

The scam came to light after the Accounts Superintendent of the Corporation Chandrasekharan P died by suicide. —Salar News