BENGALURU: Minister B Nagendra’s troubles appear to have resurfaced even before the allocation of portfolios, with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) reportedly examining allegations that he travelled to New Delhi without obtaining prior permission from the special court dealing with cases related to people representatives, in violation of conditions imposed while granting him bail in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation scam case.
It is alleged that Nagendra travelled to Delhi on an IndiGo flight (6E 76034), which departed around 6.15 pm on July 15.
Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy alleged that Nagendra visited Delhi twice and said the minister should be removed from the cabinet. MLC Ravikumar and former minister B Sriramulu too made similar demands.
ED has also received information that he travelled to New Delhi on an IndiGo flight (No. 67840) at 1.55 pm on July 26.
Minister went to Delhi to lobby
Sources said before Nagendra was made minister, he travelled to Delhi several times to lobby for a berth. Only on July 17, he was caught on camera with Vijayananda Kashappanavar, Ajay Singh, AS Ponnanna and N H Konareddy at AICC headquarters. But then, he had complied with the court’s conditions as the court had granted him permission to travel outside Karnataka three times between April 26, 2026 and June 2, 2026, and from June 11 to July 7, and from July 16 to July 25. But ED has received information that he also travelled to Delhi on July 15 and July 26, sources said.
Nagendra had filed an application before the court on July 23 seeking permission to travel out of the state from July 26 to August 10. But the ED had expressed objection to granting permission. If evidence is found to confirm the information available, ED will move court and seek cancellation of his bail because of breach of conditions.
