Kolar, 18 July

KY Nanje Gowda, Congress legislator from Malur in Kolar district and Chairman of the Kolar Chikkaballapura Districts Co-operative Milk Producers Union Limited (KOMUL), has announced his intention to challenge the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) confiscation of Rs 1.32 crore worth of his assets in a money laundering case. Nanje Gowda contends that the land seized by the ED, which he and his brother purchased in April 2021, was acquired legitimately.

He has vehemently denied allegations of irregularities during the KOMUL recruitment process in December 2022, asserting that it was conducted transparently and without malpractice. Nanje Gowda pledged to resign from politics if proven guilty of any corrupt practices, emphasising his commitment to transparency in all financial disclosures during the assembly elections.

The ED, however, claims that significant evidence of wrongdoing was uncovered during raids on Nanje Gowda's residence, including incriminating documents and over Rs 1.50 crore in bribes linked to the recruitment. The agency's statement highlights irregularities in OMR sheet manipulation and implicates Nanje Gowda in directing these actions, with at least Rs 80 lakh of the alleged corrupt money attributed to him.