Valmiki Corporation scam: Bengaluru Police book 2 ED officials for ‘coercing’ officer to name CM Siddaramaiah, former Minister Nagendra

The Bengaluru City Police have registered a case against two officials of the Directorate of Enforcement for allegedly coercing a senior official of the Government of Karnataka to name Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and former Minister for Scheduled Tribes Welfare B. Nagendra in connection with the financial irregularities at the State-run Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Welfare Development Corporation. Wilson Garden Police registered the FIR on Monday, based on a complaint by B. Kallesh, Additional Director, Social Welfare Department, who was Director, ST Welfare Directorate and by virtue of that post an ex-officio director in the Valmiki Corporation and questioned by the ED on July 16. However, money had been credited into this account illegally from March 5 itself,” Mr. Kallesh said, adding that ED officials had then started pressuring him to name others in the scam. He said the ED would help me if I gave in writing that I had instructions from former minister B. Nagendra, the highest authority of the government and Finance Department to transfer the money to the account in the M. G. Road branch,” he said, adding he was next questioned by Indian Revenue Service officer Manoj Mittal.