SIT questions Ex-Karnataka Minister Nagendra in ST Development Corporation scam

Bengaluru, Jul 9 (PTI) The Special Investigation Team on Tuesday questioned former minister B Nagendra in connection with the illegal diversion of money from Karnataka State Valmiki ST Development Corporation.

Nagendra had resigned on June 6 after the corporation's Accounts Superintendent Chandrasekharan P died by suicide on May 26.

In the suicide note, he alleged that there was an unauthorised transfer of Rs 187 crore belonging to the state-run Corporation from its bank account.

Further, Rs 88.62 crore was illegally deposited into various accounts of some IT companies and a Hyderabad-based cooperative bank.

While the state government has constituted the SIT to investigate it, the Central Bureau of Investigation is also probing it simultaneously based on a complaint by the Union Bank of India.

Nagendra, who held the scheduled tribes welfare portfolio, was questioned for over five hours.

Meanwhile, two audio clips purportedly of a conversation between two suspended Corporation officials allegedly related to the transaction of money, have gone viral.

Reacting to it, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said he has no information about the audio.

He, however, said the inquiry is underway and there is no interference with it.

“We have given a free hand to the investigation team.” Shivakumar added that already the minister has resigned from his position and the truth will come out soon. PTI GMS GMS ROH