CBI takes up probe into multi-crore money transfer case involving state-run Corporation in Karnataka
Bengaluru, Jun 5: The CBI has taken up the probe into the multi-crore illegal money transfer case involving Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd, Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Wednesday.
The Cabinet will take a call on handing over to the CBI investigation covering the state government departments linked to the case, once it gets a formal request from the central agency, he said here.
Mumbai-headquartered Union Bank of India last week filed a formal complaint with the CBI in connection with embezzlement of public money of the state-run Corporation involving its MG Road branch. It had also suspended three officials.
The Corporation had filed an FIR against top Union Bank of India officials with the police, over embezzlement of Rs 88 crore.
"Bank had written to the CBI, there is a rule in the central government that if there is a case of bank fraud of over Rs three crore CBI can suo moto probe it. So on the basis of the bank's letter to CBI, they have taken up the case," Parameshwara told reporters here.
The Minister said the state government will extend all cooperation to the CBI in its probe.
"We are yet to decide whether the CBI can probe into -- Tribal Welfare Department (under which the Corporation comes), and money has (allegedly) gone to cooperative banks that come under the cooperative department -- which comes under the state government's departments.
For us to give a complete probe to the CBI, they will have to write to us, after which the government will take a decision," he said, adding that the Cabinet will decide on it after the model code of conduct is over.
Responding to a question, Parameshwara added: "in case the money has come back to the bank accounts of the corporation, it will be looked into by the CBI ,as it is a matter of bank's money transaction."
In case the CBI feels that it needs to subject the (Scheduled Tribes Welfare) Minister (B Nagendra) to inquiry, "they might do it. I don't know what their mandate is."
The illegal money transfer issue came to light, after accounts superintendent at the Corporation, Chandrashekhar P, died by suicide on May 26, leaving behind a death note.
The note revealed the unauthorised transfer of Rs 187 crore belonging to the Corporation from its bank account, and from that, Rs 88.62 crore was illegally moved to various accounts allegedly belonging to "well-known" IT companies and a Hyderabad-based cooperative bank.
Chandrashekhar has named the Corporation's now suspended Managing Director J G Padmanabh, accounts officer Parashuram G Durugannavar, and Union Bank of India Chief Manager Suchismita Rawal in the note, while also stating that the "Minister" had issued oral orders for transferring the funds.
The state government last week constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Manish Kharbikar, Additional Director General of Police, Economic Offences, at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Bengaluru, to conduct the probe.
Opposition BJP has demanded the removal of Nagendra over allegations against him in connection with the case, and also a CBI probe.
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Two arrested in K'taka for assaulting minors, uploading CSAM content
Bengaluru (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, recording the acts on mobile phones and uploading the videos online as child sexual abuse material, police said on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as Kiran Kumar (29), hailing from Chitradurga district, and Aditya M K (20), hailing from Shivamogga district, they said.
A probe was initiated after information was received from the NCRP portal regarding a suspected instance of creation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) for online dissemination, police said.
Accordingly, a case was registered at Kaggalipura Police Station under relevant sections of the IT Act on May 10, they added.
Investigation revealed that two minor girl victims were exploited and videos were created and uploaded to the internet. The child victims have subsequently recorded their statements as per procedure and further necessary legal steps have been taken, Pronab Mohanty Director General of Police, Cyber Command, said in a statement.
Based on the statements of the victims, the accused persons, who allegedly assaulted the minors, recorded the acts on mobile phones and uploaded the videos online, were arrested, he said.
Following the probe, sections 65(2) (rape) and 70 (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act, have been added to the FIR, police said.
Officials collected relevant information and on May 12, arrested the accused persons and seized three mobile phones belonging to them, in which the videos had allegedly been recorded, he said.
The accused were later produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation, he added.
According to him, in CSAM cases, police usually apprehend offenders who have downloaded such content or have kept them in their possession after obtaining them from elsewhere, usually the internet.
"The present case is one of the very few instances where content creators and uploaders have been apprehended," Mohanty added.
