Illegal money transfer case: Sack Minister Nagendra, handover probe to CBI, says K'taka BJP chief
Shivamogga/Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Thursday demanded the sacking of Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister B Nagendra and asked the state government to hand over the case of an alleged illegal money transfer from a Corporation bank to the CBI for a probe.
The unauthorised transfer of Rs 88.62 crore from the Corporation’s bank account came to light after accounts superintendent at the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd, Chandrashekhar P, died by suicide on Sunday evening, leaving behind a death note.
He has named Corporation's 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 in charge had issued oral orders for transferring the funds.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the deceased officer's house in Shivamogga, Vijayendra said that suspending two or three officials in connection with the case was not enough and the minister's resignation was needed without any delay.
ALSO READ: Karnataka govt suspends two officials of Valmiki Corporation in illegal money transfer case
Demanding that the case be investigated by the CBI, he gave a deadline of one week's time to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the state government and warned state wide agitation if the demand was not met.
"It is impossible for CID or local authorities to investigate the case impartially. Officials have taken the pen drive and laptop from the house of the deceased," he said.
Vijayendra further alleged that during the Lok Sabha elections, hundreds of crores were transferred to Telangana through a 'fake' bank account and said there is a 'big conspiracy' behind this.
The deceased's wife is working on a contract basis and has two sons. It is difficult for her to manage the family, he said, and urged the state government to announce a compensation of at least Rs 25 lakh to the family.
BJP's ST Morcha on Thursday tried to lay siege to the CM's residence in Bengaluru demanding the resignation of Nagendra. The protesters were stopped and later detained by the police.
Noting that in the death note, officer Chandrasekhar, mentioned the phone calls and pressure from the office of the concerned minister, Vijayendra alleged, "There is no possibility that the officials have transferred such a large amount (to a account) in Telangana without the permission of Minister Nagendra."
On Wednesday, the state government suspended the managing director and an official of the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd over allegations of an illegal money transfer.
Two FIRs have been registered following Chandrashekar’s suicide. The first was against the three people named in his note, and the second was registered against six bank officials for the alleged fraud.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
