Karnataka HC orders interim stay on FIR against Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP's Kateel in an electoral bond case

The Karnataka High Court on Monday ordered an interim stay on the First Information Report (FIR) registered against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Karnataka BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel which alleged extortion under the guise of electoral bonds.

The court said that the stay order will be in effect until the next hearing scheduled for October 22, 2024.

The complaint was lodged by Adarsh R. Iyer, Co-President of 'Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath' (JSP), who alleged that the accused engaged in extortion disguised as the electoral bonds scheme, allegedly benefiting by over Rs 8,000 crore.


The complaint further claimed that Sitharaman, with the covert assistance of Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, facilitated the extortion of thousands of crores for the benefit of various individuals at both state and national levels.

According to the complainant, "the entire extortion racket under the garb of electoral bonds has been orchestrated hand in glove with officials of BJP at various levels."

In February, the Supreme Court struck down the electoral bond scheme, stating that it violated citizens' right to information and freedom of speech under the Constitution. In light of this, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is facing calls for his resignation due to an FIR related to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case, remarked, "If we follow the BJP's logic, then Nirmala Sitharaman should also resign."