BENGALURU : The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has unearthed a mega scam in the recruitment underway to Kolar-Chikkaballapura District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd, (KOMUL) of which Malur Congress MLA KY Nanje Gowda is chairman, during raids on him and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The agency has accused Gowda and four members of KOMUL of “completely manipulating the interview process,” selling each post for Rs 20 to Rs 30 lakh and “accommodating 30 political references,” according to a press release issued here on Thursday.
“Orders were issued to the selected candidates and they were sent to training without making the final list public. During search and seizure operations, the directors of KOMUL and members of the recruitment committee admitted that each post was sold for Rs 20 to 30 lakh. Some politicians have referred their candidates for selection and 30 such references were accommodated,” the ED stated.
The central agency accused Gowda, being the head of the recruitment committee, of “actively and directly involved in the sale of posts and manipulation of candidates’ marks during the interviews.”
The ED, meanwhile, recovered/seized Rs 25 lakh in cash, documents related to movable and immovable properties worth more than Rs 50 crore, several incriminating documents, and digital data during the search and seizure operations.
“Officials searched 14 premises linked to the accused in connection with a case related to illegal allotment of government land worth Rs 150 crore. Gowda was the chairman of the land grant committee and the other accused were its members. One of the accused, V Nagaraj, was the tahsildar of Malur during that time,” the ED said.
‘Land allotment is done in blatant violation of rules’
The Directorate of Enforcement launched an investigation based on an FIR registered by Masti police in Kolar district under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Gowda and other accused.
“During the raids, it was found that Gowda, being the chairman of Malur Land Grant Committee, along with other members and revenue officials abused his power by granting around 80 acres land worth Rs150 crore in a month to illegal beneficiaries by creating fictitious and bogus documents,” the ED stated.
“Later, based on a report of the then regional commissioner, the land allotment was cancelled. During the raids, it was also revealed that al lotment of land was done in blatant violation of guidelines and by forging documents,” the central agency said.
I have cooperated with ED officials: MLA
KOLAR: Malur Congress MLA KY Nanje Gowda said on Thursday that he had cooperated with the
Enforcement Directorate officials during the raid on his residence at Kommanahalli in Malur taluk of
Kolar district. Gowda told reporters here that the central agency has called him for further questioning. “I will go whenever they summon me,” he said. He said that he is confident of coming clean in the case. Ruling out any wrongdoing, he said the people of Malur constituency had elected him as their legislator for the second time. On the recovery of cash, Gowda said he had kept it at his residence to meet the marriage expenses of his brother’s daughter. He will file documents related to the source of cash.