FIR against Nirmala, Vijayendra, Kateel over ‘misuse’ of electoral bond scheme

According to the complaint, Ms. Sitharaman and ED officials committed extortion under the pretext of electoral bonds and benefited to the tune of over ₹8,000 crore.

The Tilak Nagar police on Saturday registered a first Information report (FIR) against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for allegedly committing irregularities and misusing the electoral bond scheme to extort money from companies using enforcement agencies.

The FIR was filed based on court directions, charging the accused under sections 384 (punishment for extortion) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) read with 34 (acts done with common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Based on a private complaint filed by Adarsh R. Iyer, co-president of Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath (JSP), alleging criminal conspiracy and extortion, and compelling companies and other individuals through electoral bonds in favour of the BJP, the FIR named Ms. Sitharaman, Enforcement Directorate (ED), BJP Karnataka unit president B.Y. Vijayendra and senior party leader Nalin Kumar Kateel.

According to the complaint, Ms. Sitharaman and ED officials committed extortion under the pretext of electoral bonds and benefited to the tune of over ₹8,000 crore.

Mr. Iyer in his complaint alleged that the “extortion” was committed in connivance with BJP leaders and office-bearers of the party at the State and national level.

He also claimed that Ms. Sitharaman used the ED to “conduct raids, seizures, and arrests to compel the corporates to pay”.

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Fearing raids, many corporates were forced to buy electoral bonds worth several crores, which were encashed by BJP leaders, he alleged.

“The entire extortion racket under the garb of electoral bonds have been orchestrated in connivance with BJP officials at various levels,” Mr. Iyer charged.

The complainant had initially approached the jurisdictional Tilak Nagar police station with a complaint on March 30 this year, and then approached DCP, Bengaluru Southeast, in April, 2024.

Since there was no action, he moved the court and filed a private complaint seeking directions from Special Court exclusively dealing with criminal cases related to elected MPs/MLAs in the State of Karnataka.

Published - September 28, 2024 05:00 pm IST