Four BJP leaders, including MLAs Basangouda Patil Yatnal and Ramesh Jarkiholi, have requested the Karnataka High Court to transfer the investigation of a Rs 90 crore misappropriation case from the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation to the CBI. They argue that a central agency is needed to avoid a potential cover-up by the SIT.
Karnataka: Four BJP leaders, including MLAs Basangouda Patil Yatnal and Ramesh Jarkiholi, have petitioned the Karnataka High Court to transfer the investigation into the alleged misappropriation of Rs 90 crore from the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation (Valmiki Corporation) to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The plea was filed by Yatnal, Jarkiholi, and BJP leaders Arvind Limbavalli and Kumar Bangarappa after a similar petition by the Union Bank of India seeking a CBI probe was dismissed.
On November 22, Justice M Nagaprasanna issued a notice seeking responses from the State and the CBI by December 12, 2024. The petitioners argued that the ongoing probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) may lead to a “cover-up of the conspiracy”, necessitating the involvement of a central agency.
The alleged scam surfaced in May 2024 after Chandrashekhar, the Corporation’s accounts superintendent, died by suicide, leaving behind a note detailing the fund misappropriation. Investigations by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) revealed that approximately Rs 90 crore was illegally transferred to unauthorized accounts.
Despite the SIT and ED’s ongoing investigations, the petitioners claim a CBI inquiry is crucial to ensure transparency and justice in the case.
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