Bengaluru: A case has been registered against Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK), his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy and their aide Suresh Babu for allegedly threatening a senior IPS Officer who is investigating a mining case against Kumaraswamy.

The FIR, registered yesterday, follows a complaint by Inspector General of Police M. Chandrashekar, who claims Kumaraswamy made threats and false accusations to hinder the officer’s duties.

The Police have charged the accused under Section 224 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for threatening a public servant. While the initial complaint was lodged in October, the FIR was officially registered yesterday after the 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) granted permission.

Chandrashekar, head of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the Karnataka Lokayukta, stated that he is leading a probe into a mining case in which Kumaraswamy is an accused.

The allegations against Kumaraswamy involve the illegal approval of a 550-acre mining lease to Sri Sai Venkateswara Minerals (SSVM) in Ballari district during his tenure as the CM from 2006 to 2008.

“The SIT found substantial evidence to prosecute Kumaraswamy and wrote to the Karnataka Governor on Nov. 21, 2023, seeking permission for prosecution,” Chandrashekar noted in his complaint filed at the Sanjaynagar Police Station.

The complaint further alleges that on Sept. 28 and 29, Kumaraswamy held a press conference, made false allegations, and issued threats. “Kumaraswamy orally threatened that I would be transferred to another cadre from the Karnataka cadre,” Chandrashekar alleged.

He added that bribery accusations were levelled against him and his family, along with claims that he falsified medical records to retain his Karnataka posting in the Indian Police Service (IPS). Nikhil allegedly made similar claims during a press conference on Sept. 29.

Suresh Babu, Kumaraswamy’s aide, reportedly wrote a letter to the Karnataka Chief Secretary accusing Chandrashekar of misconduct, later making the letter public on social media as a form of intimidation.

After Kumaraswamy made allegations, Chandrashekar, in a letter to his team, had called Kumaraswamy an “accused who is on bail and is targeting me to demotivate my officers.” He stated, “This accused, who is on bail, has acted to instil fear in SIT officers by targeting me. But no matter how powerful an accused may be, they remain an accused.”

Chandrashekar concluded his statement with a quote from George Bernard Shaw: “Never wrestle with pigs. You both get dirty and the pig likes it.”