- By Imran Zafar
- Sat, 20 Jul 2024 06:40 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Karnataka Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah announced on Friday the arrest of four individuals and the seizure of about Rs 85.25 crore in connection with the Valmiki Corporation scam. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) recovered the funds as part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged corruption.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah revealed that three agencies, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the SIT, are conducting investigations. The government is awaiting reports from these agencies to proceed further. Siddaramaiah highlighted the severity of the scam, stating, "Rs 187.33 crore has been looted or defrauded by numerous individuals involved."
Addressing the media, CM Siddaramaiah said that a death note indicated three people were responsible for the death of P Chandrasekaran, an official of the Valmiki Corporation. Chandrasekaran's wife, Kavitha, filed a complaint leading to the registration of an FIR, the chief minister stated.
"A. Rajashekhar, General Manager of Valmiki Corporation, also filed a complaint, because they are also responsible for the lost money. So the total money gone to Union Bank of India, MG Road to Hyderabad, is Rs 89 crores and 63 lakhs, not Rs 187.33 crores. Out of Rs 187.33 crores, only Rs 89 crores, and 63 lakhs have been sent to MD JG Padmanabha, accountant Parashuram Durgannanavar, and chief general manager (UBI, MG Road) Suchismita Rahul, as per the complaint, but the investigation is ongoing," CM Siddaramaiah said as quoted by news agency ANI.
CM Siddaramaiah stated that so far, four persons have been arrested. The SIT has seized around Rs 46 crore and recovered Rs 34 crore from Ratnakar Bank, totalling Rs 85.25 crore. The CM highlighted that both the ED and the SIT are actively investigating the matter and that the government is awaiting their reports.
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In response to BJP's demand for his resignation, Siddaramaiah accused the opposition of political motivation. He questioned the BJP's allegations, stating, "In what way am I or the finance department responsible for the scam, as the BJP alleges?" He defended the arrest of B Nagendra, linking it to evidence found in a death note and an audio clip involving Padmanabha.
CM Siddaramaiah also accused former CM Basavraj Bommai of corruption, citing examples of misappropriated funds during Bommai's tenure. He pointed out that despite multiple alleged scams under investigation, Bommai did not resign and the ED did not intervene at the time.