Accused being forced to name CM, DCM in Valmiki scam: Karnataka Ministers claim
Bengaluru: Ministers in Karnataka have raised concerns over the selective investigation tactics of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Valmiki Corporation scam. They questioned why similar attention was not given to scams that occurred under the previous BJP government.
During a press conference at Vidhana Soudha, Karnataka's Minister of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Priyank Kharge, along with Ministers Krishna Byre Gowda, Dinesh Gundu Rao, KJ George, and Santosh Lad, criticized the central agencies' approach.
Kharge pointed out scams in various corporations and trusts, such as the APMC, Bovi Corporation, Karnataka Handicrafts Development Corporation, Dr. Ambedkar Development Corporation, and Devaraj Arasu Trust, questioning why these were not investigated.
Kharge accused the BJP of a pattern of overthrowing state governments through strategic operations in states like Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, and Gujarat. He presented statistics claiming that since 2014, 444 MLAs have been influenced through agencies like the IT department, ED, and CBI to destabilize governments with a majority.
Kharge also alleged that ED officials are pressuring individuals involved in the Valmiki Corporation scam to name the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and other ministers as part of the investigation.
He questioned why cases against former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and the Reddy brothers were not being pursued, suggesting that those who refuse to join the BJP face undue pressure.
Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda also raised these concerns, accusing the central government of misusing investigative agencies like the IT, ED, and CBI to target states with opposition governments. He claimed that forced statements were being extracted during the Valmiki Corporation scam investigation to implicate government officials.
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Man held for killing teacher over Rs 13 lakh loan in Karnataka
Kalaburagi (Karnataka) (PTI): A 27-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly killing a teacher after she repeatedly demanded repayment of a Rs 13 lakh loan that he had taken from her, police said on Wednesday.
The accused, Amar, allegedly attacked the woman with a sharp weapon and later set the body on fire on the Kamalapur-Kalmood road in the district in an attempt to destroy evidence, they said.
Police identified the victim as Jyoti (57), a resident of Kalaburagi city, who was working as a teacher in Bidar district.
The matter came to light after an unidentified female body was found beside the Kamalapur-Kalmood road, they said.
Initially, it was treated as an unidentified body. Based on a complaint from a local resident, a murder case was registered under 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Kamalapur Police Station limits in Kalaburagi district, police said.
The investigation was immediately taken up and her photographs were widely circulated and later, the woman was identified.
During the investigation, police identified Amar, a resident of Kapnoor area, who owns and runs a milk parlour as the accused, Adduru Srinivasulu, Kalaburagi Superintendent of Police told reporters here.
According to him, Amar had borrowed Rs 13 lakh from Jyoti. She had been repeatedly asking him to return the money and had warned that she would lodge a police complaint if he failed to repay the amount. Fearing this, Amar allegedly planned to kill her.
He reportedly took Jyoti towards the Kamalapur-Kalmood road in a vehicle on April 4. On the way, he stopped the vehicle saying that water needed to be poured into the engine. "When she got down, he allegedly threw chilli powder on her face and attacked her with a sharp weapon. After the murder, he allegedly poured fuel on the body and set it on fire before fleeing the scene," the officer said.
Based on the accused's statement, police recorded his confession, collected evidence in the case, arrested him and produced him before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody, he added.
