SIT files charge sheet against 12; most from Hyderabad

Omits names of former Minister B. Nagendra and Chairman of Valmiki Corporation Basanagouda Daddal

Bengaluru: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the multi-crore scam at Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes (ST) Development Corporation Ltd. has submitted a preliminary charge sheet to the Third Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Court.

The charge sheet names 12 individuals, including two officials of Valmiki Corporation, but notably excludes former Tribal Welfare Minister B. Nagendra and Valmiki Corporation Chairman and MLA Basanagouda Daddal.

The accused

The charge sheet accuses the named individuals of illegally transferring Rs. 187 crore from Valmiki Corporation. The key accused are:

J.G. Padmanabha, Managing Director of Valmiki Corporation, Parashuram Durgannavar, Accounts Superintendent, Sathyanarayana Etakari, Chairman of First Finance Credit Cooperative Bank Limited, Hyderabad, Nekkunte Nagaraj, a close aide of former Minister Nagendra, Nageshwar Rao, Nagaraj’s brother-in-law, M. Chandramohan, Gadi Raju Satyanarayana Verma of Hyderabad, G.K. Jagadish of Udupi, Teja Thammaiah of Bengaluru, Pittala Srinivas of Gachchibouli, Sai Teja of Hyderabad and Kaki Srinivas Rao of Hyderabad.

The scam came to light following the suicide of Valmiki Corporation Superintendent P. Chandrasekaran in May. This led to the resignation of Tribal Welfare Minister Nagendra from the State Cabinet. The SIT, constituted by the State Government, interrogated both Nagendra and Chairman Daddal but eventually released them.

ED and CBI probes

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a parallel investigation, raiding the residences and offices of the accused and seizing documents. The ED filed a First Information Report (FIR) and took Nagendra into custody, where he remains in judicial custody.