Union Minister Pralhad Joshi's brother, sister booked in cheating case
Bengaluru (PTI): The Bengaluru police have filed an FIR against Union Minister Pralhad Joshi's brother and sister based on a complaint of cheating lodged by a former JD(S) MLA's wife.
His brother Gopal Joshi and sister Vijayalakshmi were booked by Basaweshwaranagar police. Gopal's son Ajay Joshi has also been named in the FIR, police sources said on Friday.
The complaint was filed by Sunita Chavan, wife of former Nagthana MLA Devavand Phool Singh Chavan, who lost the 2023 Assembly election.
She alleged that Gopal promised her to get a ticket to contest the May Lok Sabha elections when she approached him at his Hubballi residence in north Karnataka in March and later delivered Rs 25 lakh at Vijayalakshmi's house at Basaveshwaranagar here on his instruction.
When she did not get a ticket, Sunita alleged, she again approached Gopal, who told her that he was about to get a Rs 200 crore project and he would return her amount. He asked her to pay him Rs 1.75 crore, which she did, the complainant alleged.
Gopal thereafter failed to honour his promise to return the money in 20 days, the complainant alleged, adding, she visited Vijayalakshmi's residence but to no avail.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda told reporters here: "It appears Rs 2 crore was given in various instalments, which is also under investigation".
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Andhra Pradesh Police search for director Ram Gopal Varma over offensive posts against Andhra CM
Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Police are actively searching for film director Ram Gopal Varma after he failed to appear for questioning in connection with a case filed against him for allegedly posting offensive and morphed images of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and their family members on social media.
The case was registered at Maddipadu Police Station in Prakasam district on November 11, with the complainant Ramalingam alleging that Varma's posts undermined the reputation of the leaders and caused personal harm.
Three police teams—two in Hyderabad and one in Tamil Nadu—have been deployed to locate Varma. One team is currently in Chennai, another is at his residence in Hyderabad, and the third is searching in Film Nagar. Police officials reported that Varma’s phone is switched off, complicating their efforts.
According to Prakasam District Superintendent of Police (SP) A.R. Damodar, Varma had been issued two notices and was given until November 24 to cooperate with the investigation. However, he failed to appear, leading to intensified search efforts.
Varma’s lawyer has argued that physical presence is not required and has requested that the investigation proceed in a virtual format under provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The lawyer stated that Varma had communicated his willingness to cooperate digitally but alleged that police had not responded to his requests.
SP Damodar criticised the director's approach, stating, "Without appearing for the investigation, how can Varma suggest a virtual probe?" He confirmed that police are pursuing all legal avenues to ensure compliance.
Varma, who had earlier requested additional time due to prior commitments, was summoned for investigation on November 25 but failed to attend. Police have stated that further legal action will follow if he continues to remain uncooperative.
