A First Information Report (FIR) was registered on Thursday, October 3 against Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel HD Kumaraswamy on charges of extortion and threatening businessman Vijay Tata, who claims to be the former social media president of Janata Dal (Secular). This comes after Vijay filed a complaint against Kumaraswamy at the Amruthahalli police station in Bengaluru. JD(S) MLC Ramesh Gowda has been named as the first accused in the FIR based on the complaint.
According to the complaint, Ramesh Gowda visited Vijay Tata’s residence and made him speak to Kumaraswamy over a phone call. Kumaraswamy allegedly asked Vijay to arrange Rs 50 crore for the party in a bid to win the Channapatna by-election. Vijay also claimed that Ramesh Gowda told him that the party had decided to field Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Kumaraswamy in Channapatna.
When he replied that he did not have that much money, Kumaraswamy became angry and threatened of consequences if he failed to do so and said it would be difficult for Vijay to live in Bengaluru and carry out real estate business, the complaint alleged. Vijay also alleged that Ramesh Gowda also insisted him to arrange Rs 50 crore and sought an additional Rs 5 crore for building a temple and a school.
Vijay Tata claimed he led the social media campaigns during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Mandya constituency, spending "crores of his own money". He said he was appointed by JD(S) supremo HD Devegowda in the presence of Kumaraswamy, which the party has denied. Amruthahalli police have invoked Sections 308 (2) (extortion) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) against Ramesh Gowda and Kumaraswamy.
Kumaraswamy had vacated the Channapatna assembly constituency after winning the recent Lok Sabha elections. It has been speculated that Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar would contest in the bypoll, the date for which is yet to be announced. In such a scenario, Shivakumar may vacate his Kanakapura seat for his brother DK Suresh, who lost in the general elections.
Earlier, Kumaraswamy had accused Lokayukta SIT Chief ADGP M Chandra Sekhar of conspiring against him by colluding with Vijay Tata and the state government. The Karnataka Lokayukta had issued a notice to Kumaraswamy in the 2007 illegal iron ore mining case and sought permission of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to prosecute him.
Kumaraswamy, in response, alleged that Chandra Sekhar, a Himachal Pradesh cadre officer serving on deputation in Karnataka, had falsified documents and assisted Vijay Tata in extorting more than Rs 100 crore from Delhi-based company PACL Ltd. “More than 2,500 FIRs have been registered against Vijay Tata, but no action was taken. In 2006, there was a complaint lodged against PACL by Shivakumar at the behest of Vijay Tata. Vijay then approached PACL and sought Rs 100 crore to settle the issue. PACL paid Rs 80 crore in cash and Rs 21 crore in cheque. This money has been transferred to a few real estate developers," Kumaraswamy said.
Responding to these accusations, Chandra Sekhar, in a letter addressed to his colleagues, denounced the claims as attempts to obstruct the SIT's work. "Today an accused, HD Kumaraswamy, made false and malicious allegations and threats. As you know, the SIT had sought the prosecution sanction of the accused from the competent authority. This accused is on bail... He has done this to deter us from discharging our duties. It appears that his objective is to create fear in the minds of officers of SIT by attacking me.”