What’s Behind the K'taka Tribal Board Scam Involving Congress Leaders?

Bengaluru, June 11 (NationPress) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated raids at various locations associated with four Congress leaders and others as part of the investigation into the Maharshi Valmiki Tribal Welfare Board Scam in Ballary district and Bengaluru on Wednesday.

A team comprising 60 officers from the ED has been conducting coordinated raids across eight sites, five in Ballary and three in Bengaluru city, since early morning, according to informed sources.

As per the ED's reports, searches are currently being conducted at the residences and offices of Congress Ballary MP E. Tukaram and Congress MLAs Na. Ra. Bharath Reddy, J.N. Ganesh (also known as Kampli Ganesh), and N. T. Srinivas.

Additionally, raids are in progress at the Bengaluru office of former Minister and Congress MLA Nagendra.

The residence of Govardhan, the personal assistant to Ballary Congress MLA and former Minister B. Nagendra, is also under scrutiny.

These raids are linked to the alleged misuse of funds which were allocated to the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited (KMVSTDCL) for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka. There are also allegations that these funds were used to benefit Congress candidates during the recent Telangana Assembly elections.

The ED is conducting a search operation at the room of former Minister and Ballary Rural MLA Nagendra within the Legislators' House near Vidhana Soudha.

Official confirmation regarding the raids is still awaited.

In response to the ED's actions, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah remarked in Chikkaballapura, "Let action be taken against anyone found guilty. I will not shield the guilty in this matter. The investigation is ongoing, and the truth must prevail," he stated.

Basavaraj Rayareddy, the Economic Advisor to CM Siddaramaiah, expressed in Delhi, "It is inappropriate to target solely Congress leaders. This investigation is carried out by the state government. These raids are intended to instill fear among Congress leaders and the public representatives. The BJP is currently engaging in a politics of animosity," he criticized.

Congress MLC B.K. Hariprasad remarked that while probing is valid, the BJP has transformed the ED into a weapon against its political adversaries.

Reports indicate that Congress Ballary city MLA Bharath Reddy was being interrogated by ED officials at his residence.

The residence of MLA Kampli Ganesh, located on the outskirts of Kampli town, is also under investigation.

Former Minister and MLA B. Nagendra had previously been imprisoned in connection with this case and had resigned after the scam came to light. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah mentioned that a review of Nagendra's potential reinstatement would occur.

Nagendra, who previously served as the Minister for ST Welfare, Youth Empowerment, and Sports, was arrested by the ED on July 12, 2024, related to this high-profile tribal welfare scam. He later spent three months in judicial custody before securing bail.

Post his release from prison, Nagendra accused the ED of harassment, alleging that the BJP was scheming to destabilize democratically elected governments across the nation.

The BJP has implicated Siddaramaiah in this scam, asserting that he consented to the misappropriation of Rs 89.6 crore from the government body. The BJP claims this scam amounts to Rs 187 crore, emphasizing Siddaramaiah's evident involvement as he holds the finance portfolio.

The ED has identified B. Nagendra as the principal accused and mastermind behind the alleged scam involving the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation.

According to the ED's statement, "Nagendra purportedly orchestrated the scam with the assistance of 24 accomplices, including key figures like Satyanarayana Varma, Etakari Satyanarayana, J.G. Padmanabha, Nageshwar Rao, Nekkunti Nagaraj, and Vijay Kumar Gowda."

However, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Congress government had previously cleared Nagendra of any wrongdoing in this case and did not mention him in their charge sheet.

The ED's investigation was initiated based on FIRs filed by the Karnataka Police and CBI, uncovering that approximately Rs 89.62 crore was siphoned from the Corporation’s accounts into fraudulent accounts across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, subsequently laundered through shell companies.

The tragic suicide of Accounts Superintendent P. Chandrasekaran (52), affiliated with the tribal welfare board, has brought to the forefront this alleged multi-crore Tribal Welfare Board scandal. In his suicide note, he disclosed details about the scam, attempts to cover it up, and the immense pressure exerted on him by politicians and senior officials.

The 300-page charge sheet prepared by the special wing of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which operates under the state government, notably does not include the names of politicians from the ruling Congress. However, Chandrasekaran’s death note indicated the involvement of a Congress minister in the Tribal Welfare case, implying responsibility for his demise.