'Forced By ED To Implicate Chief Minister': Karnataka Official Files Case

A senior government official in Karnataka has filed a police case against two officials of the Enforcement Directorate, accusing them of forcing him to frame Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, a former minister of the state and a few others in the Valmiki Corporation scam that surfaced earlier this year. The complaint ois expected to be a shot-in-the-arm to the Congress and the Opposition parties, which accuse the Central investigative agencies of targeting Opposition leaders under orders of the BJP-led Central government.

Today, Kallesh B, the Additional Director of the state's Social Welfare Department, alleged that he was asked to appear before the Enforcement Directorate on July 16 in connection with the investigation into the alleged Valmiki scam. He was asked to come back on July 18, bringing a few files.

Then the officials told him to name the Chief Minster and former minister B Nagendra, who has been arrested in connection with the case and a few others, he said in his complaint to the police.

The officials, he alleged, had abused him and threatened to arrest him if he did not comply, he had said in his complaint.

The ED officials he named were Murali Kannan and an official identified only by his surname -- Mittal.

Murali Kannan, he alleged, asked him to name former minister B Nagendra, "the highest authority" (referring apparently to CM Siddaramaiah) and the Finance Department.

Mr Kallesh then approached the police at Bengaluru's Wilson Garden Police Station, asking them to take action. The cases filed accuses them of "joint criminal liability with a common intention, criminal intimidation and intent to provoke breach of peace".

The government official's allegations are in line with what a group of ministers had told the media last week.

On Thursday, five ministers of the state claimed that the ED was coercing people arrested in the Valmiki scam to name the Chief Minister and his Deputy. The motive, they alleged, was to destabilise the state's elected government.

The ministers attending the media conference included Krishna Byre Gowda, KJ George, Priyank Kharge, Dinesh Gundu Rao and Santosh Lad.

The alleged scam was detected after accounts superintendent of the Corporation, Chandrasekharan P, was found dead on May 21. He wrote a purported suicide note alleging illegal transfer of money from the Corporation to various bank accounts.

Besides the Special Investigation Team set up by the Karnataka government, the CBI is also probing the alleged Rs 187 crore embezzlement.

The agency has roped in the Enforcement Directorate to probe the possible money laundering angle.

The ED has conducted searches in places linked to Mr Nagendra and Valmiki Corporation chairperson and MLA Basanagouda Daddal.

The ED has arrested B Nagendra, who is currently in judicial custody.