In a hurriedly convened press conference on Thursday, D.K. Suresh, MP, Bengaluru Rural and brother of Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar, alleged CBI had obtained search warrants against the two brothers and eleven of their associates and this was only in continuation of what he termed “Union government letting loose central agencies like IT, ED and CBI to target them and woo them to BJP.”
Hours later, the CBI did indeed raid five premises including those linked to former Energy Minister Mr. Shivakumar. However, CBI sources clarified that they were no search warrants against Mr. Shivakumar or his brother Mr. Suresh.
The raids were related to a April 7, 2017 registered FIR by ACB, CBI, Bengaluru in relation to a bank fraud to the tune of ₹10 lakh at Corporation Bank, Ramanagara in the post-demonetisation period.
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CBI had then registered an FIR against B. Prakash, chief manager, Corporation Bank, Ramanagara, alleging that he had exchanged ₹10 lakh of new ₹500 and ₹2,000 notes without any proper documentation as prescribed by RBI. He had allegedly produced 250 fabricated requisition slips for new currency notes to cover up his illegal act.
CBI sources said further probe into the case as to whom the beneficiaries of the ₹10 lakh were revealed the role of Padmanabhaiah, a former personal secretary to Mr. Shivakumar, and his associates and hence raids were taken up against them.
Sources said raids were on at the Bengaluru residence of Padmanabhaiah, Kanakapura Taluk office, residences of two officials then posted at the taluk office and the office of district in-charge Minister, Ramanagara district. Mr. Shivakumar was the district-in-charge Minister at the time.
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