Bengaluru Court Orders FIR Against Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
Bengaluru court Orders FIR Against Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman
A special court in Bengaluru has instructed local police to file a First Information Report (FIR) against Union Finance minister nirmala sitharaman, a rajya sabha member from Karnataka. The case involves allegations of extortion linked to the now-defunct electoral bond scheme.
The complaint was filed by adarsh Iyer from the Janaadhikara Sangharsha Sanghatane (JSS), who claims that Sitharaman and her department engaged in extortion through this scheme. The Special court for People’s Representatives mandated that the Tilak nagar police station register the FIR.
Iyer stated, "Our allegation is that nirmala sitharaman is misusing her position as finance minister to benefit her party, which is ruling at the Centre. This is where the extortion comes into play." He characterized the electoral bond scheme as a nationwide scam, asserting that their complaints and evidence provide a clear case of extortion and corruption involving Sitharaman and her bjp associates in Karnataka.
He further claimed that data from the State bank of india (SBI) illustrates how the alleged extortion occurred. Iyer mentioned that they have filed multiple complaints at various police stations but are currently pursuing only the one linked to Sitharaman as directed by the court.
The supreme court declared electoral bonds unconstitutional in february 2024, citing concerns about the lack of donor transparency and the potential for corporate influence in politics.
This complaint was initially lodged by JSS in april 2024 at the 42nd ACMM court in Bengaluru and named several prominent politicians, including bjp national president jp nadda and former bjp karnataka president Nalin Kumar Kateel. It alleges a conspiracy to extort funds via electoral bonds, leveraging official raids.
In response to calls for Sitharaman's resignation from karnataka Chief minister Siddaramaiah, Union minister HD Kumaraswamy defended her, questioning why she should step down if the electoral bond funds did not benefit her personally. He stated that an FIR filing does not imply guilt.