BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court has directed the Criminal Investigation Department, Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) and State FSL and the trial court to furnish documents and forensic images of digital devices sought by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct further investigation and filing of final report in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd (KMVSTDCL) and two other instances of fund diversion.
The CBI has requested assistance concerning the ongoing investigation allegedly exposing two additional instances of fund diversion involving government departments in addition to misappropriation of Rs 89.63 crore at KMVSTDCL.
Justice M Nagaprasanna passed the interim order, acceding to the CBI request, while hearing the petition filed by BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and three others, who have sought the Valmiki Corporation scam, being probed by the Special Investigation Team of CID, to be handed over to the CBI. The petitioners allege that the SIT, in its final report, did not name certain high-ranking officials and also incumbent ministers.
In its application before the HC, the CBI stated that the investigation has revealed additional instances of fund diversion involving other government departments. Rs 95 lakh was siphoned off from the account of Karnataka German Technical Training Institute (KGTTI), maintained at Canara Bank, Bengaluru and transferred to the account of accused Nekkanti Nagaraj through intermediary accounts, it alleged.
The CBI also stated that Rs 2.17 crore belonging to the Scheduled Tribes Welfare Department was diverted from another account of Valmiki Corporation maintained with Bank of Baroda, Siddaiah Road Branch, Bengaluru, and routed again to the accused Nekkanti Nagaraj. With these facts emerging, the CBI pleaded before the high court seeking permission to investigate the role of officials and private individuals involved in the diversion of funds from KGTTI and the ST Welfare Department.
The CBI pointed out that the investigation is at an advanced stage, and the final report should be filed in the due course against public servants and other accused.
The CBI urged the court to issue directives to CID, ED, CFSL and state FSL and the trial court to furnish copies of the documents and forensic images of digital devices seized and grant permission to it for investigating newly surfaced instances, which are linked to the Valmiki Corporation scam.
The court said, “What the CBI has sought is only to further the investigation that is entrusted to it by the bank. Horizons of investigation are sought to be expanded in view of what is gathered during the investigation, as narrated in the status report.
Since the prayer is for completion of investigation or taking the investigation to its logical conclusion by filing a final report before the trial court, this court deems it appropriate to grant the prayers that are sought by the CBI in the status report,” the court said.