Karnataka HC Halts Investigation on Nirmala Sitharaman and Others Amid Electoral Bonds Extortion Allegations
The Karnataka High Court has suspended the investigation against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Karnataka BJP Chief B.Y. Vijayendra, and others in the Electoral Bonds case.
Nirmala Sitharaman
On Monday, the Karnataka High Court halted the investigation into Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Karnataka BJP Chief B.Y. Vijayendra, and others in the Electoral Bonds case. The court issued an interim stay on the FIR filed against Sitharaman and the others until October 22.
Additionally, the court has put a stay on further investigation into the FIR against former Karnataka BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel, who is a co-accused in the case, which alleges that he engaged in extortion under the pretext of electoral bonds.
The next hearing is scheduled for October 22. A case was filed against Sitharaman and others on Saturday, following a court directive in Bengaluru, in response to a complaint regarding the now-defunct electoral bonds scheme.
According to police, the FIR was filed under sections 384 (punishment for extortion), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Sitharaman, Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, and BJP office-bearers at both the state and national levels, following an order from the special court. Karnataka BJP Chief B.Y. Vijayendra and party leader Nalin Kumar Kateel are also named in the FIR.
The complaint was lodged by Adarsh R. Iyer, co-president of the Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath (JSP), who alleges that the accused "committed extortion under the guise of electoral bonds," benefiting by more than ₹8,000 crore. The complainant further alleges that Sitharaman, with the covert assistance of ED officials, facilitated the extortion of thousands of crores of rupees for the benefit of individuals at both state and national levels.
"The complaint states that the entire extortion racket disguised as electoral bonds has been orchestrated in collusion with officials of the BJP at various levels." In February, the Supreme Court struck down the electoral bonds scheme, ruling that it violates the right to information as well as the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by the Constitution.
