BALLARI: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Wednesday raided the offices and residences of four Congress MLAs and Bellary MP E Tukaram in Ballari and Vijayanagara districts in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation (KMVSTDC).
The raids targeted Ballari Rural MLA and former minister B Nagendra, who was earlier arrested and now out on bail; Ballari MLA Nara Bharath Reddy; Kampli MLA JN Ganesh, and Kudligi MLA Dr NT Srinivas.
Police sources said the ED might take Bharath Reddy and Tukaram into custody.
In the scam, funds from the corporation’s bank accounts were diverted to private accounts and it was alleged that over Rs 20 crore was used for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The alleged scam came to light after Chandrashekaran P, who was working as superintendent at the corporation, died by suicide, leaving behind a death note. BJP has alleged that funds from the corporation were diverted for Lok Sabha polls.
MLA quizzed
After the scam came to light, the ED detained Nagendra’s PA and a diary recovered from him allegedly mentioned amounts distributed to each booth in the LS polls. Kudligi MLA NT Srinivas was not home during the raid. ED also raided the house of Nagendra’s personal assistant Govinda Reddy. Sources said ED team got a few documents from the house of Govinda Reddy and Nara Bharath Reddy. Nagenrda quit the cabinet last June and was arrested by ED. A few months ago, Nara Bharath’s house was raided by ED.
While ED was carrying out the raids, Kudligi MLA Dr NT Srinivas came to his residence. He was questioned. ED completed raids on Kampli MLA JN Ganesh and Kudligi MLA Dr N T Srinivas residences. The official team returned from the residences with a few documents.
