ED attaches Congress MLA's assets worth Rs 1.32 crore in Kolar milk union job scam
The ED issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to attach the Rs 1.32 crore worth of assets belonging to Nanjegowda. The probe stems from searches conducted by the ED in January in a separate case involving the alleged illegal allotment of government land worth Rs 150 crore linked to Nanjegowda and others.During those searches, the ED claims to have recovered both original and tampered Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheets, WhatsApp messages from political figures recommending certain candidates, and communications forwarded by Nanjegowda and other directors to KOMUL staff.The agency also alleged that procedural lapses were found in the entire KOMUL recruitment process and even at Mangalore University, suggesting attempts to conceal the irregularities.The ED further stated that admissions made by KOMUL directors and staff, Mangalore University Registrar Nagendra Prasad, and some selected candidates revealed what it called a 'mega scam' in the 2023 recruitment drive.According to the agency, a sum of Rs 1.56 crore was generated as proceeds of crime through manipulation of both the written and interview stages of recruitment in return for monetary gains from the candidates, who were promised selection.Nanjegowda was identified as the 'principal architect' of the alleged scam, having used his position as KOMUL chairman to control the overall recruitment process. The ED said evidence indicates that he led efforts to fix the number of 'reserved' seats, plan the collection of bribes, and direct the tampering of OMR sheets and interview scores to benefit certain recommended or paying candidates.The agency alleged that the MLA personally enriched himself by Rs 80 lakh from the total proceeds of the alleged scam. The ED has referred the matter to the Karnataka Lokayukta Police and also filed a complaint before the special court for trial of Member of Parliament and Member of Legislative Assembly cases.- Ends
IN THIS STORY#Karnataka
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scroll.in
20 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
Why is ED being used for ‘political battles', asks SC in alleged Mysuru land scam
The Supreme Court on Monday asked why the Enforcement Directorate was being used for 'political battles', and said that such battles must be fought outside the court, Bar and Bench reported. A bench of Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran rejected an appeal filed by the agency against a Karnataka High Court decision to quash the summons issued to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife in an alleged land scam '…Please do not force us to say something,' Bar and Bench quoted the bench as saying. 'Otherwise we have to say something very harsh about the Enforcement Directorate. Let political battles be fought among the electorate. Why are you being used for it?' Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate, agreed to withdraw the appeal. 'But let it not be treated as a precedent,' Raju added. While rejecting the petition, the bench also said that there was no error in the reasoning adopted by the High Court in the matter. The alleged scam pertains to the allotment of 14 high-value housing sites in Mysuru's Vijaynagar area to Siddaramaiah's wife, Parvathi, in 2021 by the Mysore Urban Development Authority under a state government scheme. This was allegedly done in exchange for 3.1 acres of land that Parvathi owned in another part of the city. The land was allegedly illegally acquired from Dalit families. On September 25, a special court in Bengaluru ordered a Lokayukta police investigation against Siddaramaiah after the Karnataka High Court upheld the sanction granted by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to prosecute him. On September 27, the Lokayukta police registered a first information report against Siddaramaiah, Parvathi, her brother Mallikarjuna Swamy and a person named Devaraju. Swamy had reportedly purchased the land in question from Devaraju and gifted it to Parvathi. On October 1, Parvathi offered to return the 14 plots in question. This came after the Enforcement Directorate booked Siddaramaiah under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in connection with the alleged scam. While the Lokayukta police said in its closure report that it found no evidence against Siddaramaiah, it alleged that the 50:50 site allotment policy followed by former Mysuru Urban Development Authority commissioner DB Natesh and his predecessors led to substantial losses to the state exchequer, according to the Deccan Herald. The anti-corruption ombudsman sought permission to investigate their actions. The Enforcement Directorate had filed a protest petition against the Lokayukta police's closure report. In April, the special court allowed the Lokayukta police to conduct further investigation into the alleged land scam involving Siddaramaiah. However, it deferred its decision on a closure report submitted by the anti-corruption ombudsman. It said that the question of whether to accept the report would be kept pending till the Lokayukta police filed its final report. Meanwhile, Justice M Nagaprasanna of the High Court on March 7 quashed the summons issued by central agency to Parvathi. Subsequently, the Enforcement Directorate filed an appeal before the Supreme Court, which was heard on Monday.
NDTV
20 minutes ago
- NDTV
Jagan Reddy Named Kickback Recipient In Andhra Liquor Scam Chargesheet
The Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) Special Investigation Team (SIT) has filed a 305-page preliminary chargesheet in the alleged Rs 3,500 crore liquor scam, elaborating on what it calls a syndicate and revealing details about an alleged complex network of kickbacks and policy manipulation during the previous YSRCP regime (2019-2024). While the chargesheet, submitted to a local court on Saturday, refrains from formally naming former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy as an accused, it explicitly identifies him as a recipient of alleged monthly kickbacks. The document claims that on average, Rs 50-60 crore was collected every month and eventually transferred to the former Chief Minister through a chain of individuals, including key aides and party leaders. This claim is reportedly corroborated by a witness. According to the chargesheet, Kesireddy Rajasekhar Reddy (A-1) has been named as the "mastermind and co-conspirator" behind the entire operation. He is accused of manipulating excise policy, replacing automated "Order for Supply" (OFS) systems with manual processes, and strategically placing loyalists within the Andhra Pradesh State Beverages Corporation Limited (APSBCL). The alleged intent behind these changes was to gain full control over the supply and sale of liquor, thereby enabling the collection of substantial commissions and kickbacks. The SIT's investigation suggests that the new liquor policy was designed to ensure large kickbacks, with a significant portion received in cash and gold. A meeting of distillery owners in Hyderabad in late 2019, allegedly orchestrated by Sajjala Sridhar Reddy (A-6), reportedly saw intimidation tactics used, with owners being threatened with no orders if they did not comply with the proposals for kickbacks. The chargesheet details how the collected amounts were allegedly handed over to Kesireddy Rajasekhar Reddy, who then passed the money to individuals like Vijay Sai Reddy (A-5), Mithun Reddy (A-4), and Balaji (A-33) before it reached the former Chief Minister. Furthermore, the chargesheet alleges that Rs 250-300 crore was routed in cash for YSRCP election expenses, coordinated by Rajasekhar Reddy and former MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy. This laundered money was reportedly invested in land, gold, and luxury assets in Dubai and Africa through over 30 shell firms. The SIT has so far arrested 12 individuals in connection with the case, including YSRCP Lok Sabha member PV Midhun Reddy, who was arrested after extensive questioning. The investigating agency has seized assets worth Rs 62 crore and examined 268 witnesses, recording statements from 11 individuals. The CID has indicated that a more detailed chargesheet will be filed within 20 days, as the investigation remains ongoing. The YSRCP, however, has dismissed the entire case as a "manufactured narrative," asserting that it is built on statements extracted under duress, threats, and through inducements, designed purely for "media theatrics" and to divert attention from other issues. The court is yet to take cognizance of the chargesheet.
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Mithun's electrocution: Police to book school management, KSEB officials
Thiruvananthapuram: Following widespread allegations that govt was trying to evade responsibility by placing the entire blame on the school principal, police decided to arraign the school management and KSEB officials as accused in the student's electrocution death at Thevalakkara in Kollam. A case will also be registered against the panchayat assistant engineer who issued the fitness certificate to the school. A six-member special investigation team led by Sasthamkotta DSP will be formed for the inquiry, with Sasthamkotta CI as the investigating officer. Police have registered a case of unnatural death and have begun investigation. Meanwhile, the school management decided to provide Class VIII student Mithun's family a compensation of Rs 10 lakh. In the incident, the management will respond to education department's show-cause notice within two days. Kollam deputy director of education had issued a notice to the school management, demanding clarification on the lapses. In response to the show-cause notice, the management committee, which includes CPM local secretaries, will convene a meeting soon. KSEB removed the electrical lines that caused the accident.
