K’taka Police file FIR against two ED officers probing Tribal Welfare Board case

Bengaluru, July 22 (IANS) In a major development, the Karnataka Police on Monday registered an FIR against the two Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers who are probing the Tribal Welfare Board case.

The FIR was registered by Wilson Garden police station in Bengaluru based on the police complaint by B. Kallesh, former Managing Director of the Tribal Welfare Board and incumbent Additional Director in the Social Welfare Department.

“The ED officials had threatened Kallesh with arrest and subjected him to mental torture to confess that former minister B. Nagendra, higher authorities of the government and the Finance Department had directed him to deposit money to the MG Road Bank. The ED said they would help him if he agreed to their statement,” reads the FIR.

The Finance Department is held by the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The police have registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections 3 (5), 351 (2) and 352.

The FIR also said that Kallesh was called by the ED on July 16 and he attended the investigation at the ED office in Shantinagar in Bengaluru. Kallesh had stated that he was asked 17 questions by the ED and he had given answers to all.

Among the 17 questions, he had told ED that to answer three questions, he needed files and junior officers. Assistant Director Murali Kannan attached to ED had recorded his statements.

The ED officer Murali Kannan had asked him to come to the ED office on July 18 at 2 pm and he would get the files and junior officers to the ED office. He had not provided any copy of the statement to Kallesh.

Instead, the ED had sought answers to additional questions. The ED officer had claimed that the transfer of money from the state treasury from the board to the MG Road Bank account was wrong. Kallesh claimed that he had clarified that as per the government orders he had created the bill and deposited the amount on March 25, 2023.

Kallesh had told police that the illegal transfers had started on Mar 5, 2023, and there was no lapse from his side. Instead of this, the ED officials threatened to arrest him and told him that he wouldn’t get bail for two years.

Murali Kannan then sent Kallesh to senior official ED Mittal. Mittal had reprimanded Kallesh that he was a criminal and he would be arrested. Mittal also threatened Kallesh that he doesn’t know about the ED and he won’t get bail for two to three years.

“Mittal also stated that he read Kallesh’s statement and it was not useful. If he wants ED’s help, he should give it in writing that the money was transferred as per the direction of former minister Nagendra and the Finance Department. Kallesh was also forced to say that there was pressure. Kallesh was repeatedly asked these questions and he won’t leave him until he gets seven years imprisonment,” the FIR reads.

It says that Mittal then called Murli to his chamber and both asked the same question, threatened Kallesh, and gave him instructions to agree to their claims of transferring money, or else he would be arrested immediately.

“Later, they both discuss about arresting Kallesh,” the FIR reads.

Murali Kannan had suggested that Kallesh be arrested on July 18.

Kallesh had asked the police to initiate action against ED officers Mittal and Murli for threatening and reprimanding him as he had not done anything against the law.

Congress has said that ED is trying to destabilise the government in Karnataka.

On Thursday, Karnataka Congress said that the ED is forcing the accused to name Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar in the alleged Tribal Welfare Board case to destabilise the state government.

“We have a clear cut and solid information that the ED is trying to force and pressurise the accused to take the names of Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister in the tribal welfare board case,” Minister for Health Dinesh Gundu Rao has said while addressing a joint press conference with Priyank Kharge, K.J. George, Krishna Byre Gowda and Santhosh Lad in Bengaluru, a few days back.

--IANS

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