BENGALURU: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi’s brother Gopal Joshi and nephew Ajay Joshi were reportedly arrested on Saturday in Maharashtra by Basaveshwaranagar police in the Rs 2 crore cheating case. A complaint in this regard was filed by Sunitha Chavan, 48, wife of former Nagthan JDS MLA Devanand Fulsingh Chavan, on Thursday.
In the complaint, Sunitha stated that the accused had cheated her of Rs 2 crore by promising her family a BJP ticket to contest the recent Lok Sabha elections.
Gopal Joshi was arrested from a lodge in Kolhapur, while his son Ajay from Pune and brought to Hubballi.
On Friday, Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara told reporters that three people were arrested and a search was on for Gopal.
Somashekar Nayak, a close acquaintance of the complainant and suspected to be the key conspirator along with Vijaya Kumari, who posed as Pralhad Joshi’s sister by calling herself as Vijayalakshmi, were arrested earlier in connection with the case.
In a statement on Friday, Pralhad Joshi said that he does not have any sister and mentioning Vijayalakshmi as his sister in the FIR is highly nonfactual. He severed his relationship with Gopal 32 years ago.
‘Pralhad has nothing to do with case’
“I published an advertisement in local dailies on November 9, 2012, stating that whosoever quotes my name for getting work done or any such claims that they are relatives, brother, friends, etc., I am in no way connected and responsible for such claims,” Pralhad Joshi stated. Meanwhile, Sunita told reporters on Saturday that Pralhad Joshi has nothing to do with the case.
The accused has misused his name, she added. She, however, said that she gave Rs 25 lakh to Gopal Joshi for the MP ticket. As it was not returned, she approached the police.
