No shortage of funds for scam-hit Valmiki Corporation, says CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, Oct 15: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, where misappropriation of funds was reported earlier this year, will face no shortage of funds.
"The misappropriation of funds in the Valmiki Corporation should not be a reason for any shortage of funds for the tribal development," Siddaramaiah told reporters after a meeting on tribal development.
The government will sanction the funds to the Corporation as announced in the Budget in February this year, he said.
Siddaramaiah said there was misappropriation of funds to the tune Rs 89.63 crore, out of which Rs 71.54 crore has been recovered.
The ED had earlier arrested Congress MLA B Nagendra and five other key accused during its probe into the 'scam' at the Corporation.
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Nagendra was granted bail by the Special Court for People's Representatives here on Monday.
He had resigned as the Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister in June following allegations of his involvement in the 'scam.'
The ED said last week Nagendra has been identified as the primary accused and mastermind behind the scam, allegedly orchestrating it with the help of 24 others.
The ED had said its investigation revealed that under the influence of Nagendra, the account of the corporation was moved to the MG Road Branch without any proper authorisation, where Rs 187 Crore, including Rs. 43.33 Crore from the State Treasury under the Ganga Kalyana Scheme, were deposited without following proper procedures and in violation of government guidelines.
“These funds were subsequently siphoned off through multiple shell accounts and converted into cash and bullion. ED investigation also revealed that an amount of Rs. 20.19 Crore of the diverted funds was used to support a candidate contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha election from the Bellary constituency, as well as for the personal expenses of B. Nagendra,” the federal probe agency added.
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Bengaluru man arrested for sharing misleading ‘zombie drug’ video
Bengaluru (PTI): A day after a video of a man seen in a disoriented state went viral on social media with claims that he was under the influence of a so-called “zombie drug”, police on Friday arrested a 29-year-old employee of a private firm here for uploading the “misleading” video.
Hemanth, a resident of Vidyaranyapura, was issued a notice to join the inquiry, police said.
Learning that the police were looking for him, he posted an apology on social media. He was later taken into custody, a senior police officer said.
A case has been registered against him under Sections 353(2), relating to statements conducing to public mischief, including spreading false information or rumours that could incite public disorder, and Section 352, dealing with intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, among others, under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police added.
After Hemanth uploaded the video, it quickly went viral on Thursday.
Later, police clarified that the man shown in a disoriented state in the video had not consumed any narcotic or psychotropic substance.
He was subjected to a medical examination, and the report confirmed that there was no trace of narcotic substances, Bengaluru police said.
The police also urged the public not to spread unverified or misleading information on social media platforms, as such content can create unnecessary panic and harm individuals’ reputations.
The footage, which circulated widely on social media, showed the man standing motionless. People claimed he might be under the influence of a synthetic “zombie drug” and raised concerns about its availability in the city.
An inquiry revealed that the individual seen in the video had come to Bengaluru in search of a livelihood and had been residing there for the past three months, police said, adding that further investigation is ongoing.
The police warned that strict action will be taken against persons found spreading false information or rumours.
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