Complaint of extortion through electoral bonds; Court issues order to register case against Nirmala Sitharaman

BENGALURU: The Karnataka Police on Saturday registered an FIR against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and five others on the complaint of extorting money through the electoral bond scheme. The Tilak Nagar police in Bengaluru filed the FIR as per the direction of the Special Court of People's Representatives.

Nirmala Sitharaman has been named the prime accused in the case. The officials of ED have been named as the second accused while the office bearers of the Central BJP office have been named as the third accused. Former Karnataka BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel is the fourth accused and State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra is the fifth accused in the case. The state BJP office bearers are named as the sixth accused.

The court issued the order after considering a petition filed by Adarsh Iyer of Janadhikar Sangharsh Parishad (JSP) seeking a direction to take action against the Union Minister. The complainant alleged the crime of extortion against FM Sitharaman and others through Electoral Bonds.

The complainant alleged that the first and second in connivance with the third and fourth accused and many others who are holding constitutional posts, CEOs and MDs of national MNC and TNC corporate companies committed extortion under the guise and garb of electoral bonds and benefited to the tune of more than Rs 8,000 crores.

The complainant mentioned that the prime accused through the clandestine aid and support of the officials facilitated to extort of thousands of crores for the benefit of the third accused at the national level and the fourth accused in the state of Karnataka.

Following the court order, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and opposition leaders came out demanding the resignation of Nirmala Sitharaman. Siddaramaiah, who criticised the BJP, questioned whether the party would demand Sitharaman's resignation. He also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step down.