Bengaluru Police register FIR against two ED officials for conspiracy against Congress MLA

The Bengaluru City Police on Monday registered an FIR against two Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials investigating the embezzlement of funds meant for welfare of tribals on a complaint from Kallesh B (54), additional director at the social welfare department. The development comes within hours after a local court sent Congress MLA and former Tribal Affairs Minister B Nagendra to judicial custody.

The complainant alleged that ED Assistant Director Murali Kannan and his boss Mittal, an IRS officer, asked him to name the then Minister Nagendra and Finance department officials as the people who directed him to transfer the funds. The two officers, he alleged, threatened him of immediate arrest under such penal sections that he would not get a bail for the next two years.

Kallesh was earlier MD of Maharshi Valmiki ST Corporation, which is in charge of implementing welfare programmes for Scheduled Tribe members. The threats were issued at the ED office on July 18 where he went in response to a notice, he said.


The FIR copy emerged within hours after Nagendra was sent to two weeks in judicial custody in connection with a case of illegal transfer of funds of the Maharshi Valmiki ST Corporation.

Judge Gajajanana Bhat passed an order after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths produced him in the court.

The ED officials arrested Nagendra, who is also the Congress MLA from Ballari Rural, on June 12 after raiding his home, and other places.

The Judge also accepted a request from the ED seeking custody of the Hyderabad-based Sathyanarayana Varma, an alleged beneficiary who is in judicial custody. The Judge ordered the authorities to produce Verma before the court on Tuesday.

The ED officials had, early this month, conducted search operations in Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over an alleged scandal involving illegal transfer of Rs 89.63 crore of government funds to unknown people in Hyderabad. The unearthing of the case led to his resignation as state’s tribal welfare and sports minister.