ED Officers Urge Karnataka HC To Quash FIR Against Them In Valmiki Corporation Scam Case Probe

An FIR was filed against two ED officers on the basis of a complaint registered by a state government official, who alleged of being mentally tortured by the officers during investigations of the alleged 187 crore Valmiki Development Corporation scam case. ED officers have moved court seeking to quash the FIR.

Bengaluru: Two officers of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have moved the Karnataka High Court challenging the FIR registered against them by a state government official in connection with the investigations of the alleged Valmiki Development Corporation scam case.

An FIR was filed by former managing director of Maharishi Valmiki ST Corporation, Kallesh B, against the two ED officers, Kannan and Mittal on July 22. Kallesh had accused them of pressuring him to admit that he had transferred money illegally after being forced by former minister B Nagendra during the investigations. He also accused the officers of mentally torturing him.

The two officers filed an application in the High Court on Tuesday seeking to quash the FIR that was filed against them.

Senior advocate Madhukar Deshpande, who appeared for the ED officers told the single-bench of Justice M. Nagaprasanna that the petitioners were only performing their official duty. He said that the complainant, who attended the ED hearing, went directly to the police station and filed a complaint against the officers. An FIR was registered without conducting any preliminary inquiry, he said and urged that the application be considered for hearing immediately.

The bench agreed to hear the application later this afternoon. It directed to furnish a copy of the petition to the counsel for the state government.

Kallesh, who has accused the ED officers, had earlier lodged a complaint at the Seshadripuram police station. The complaint was transferred to the Wilson Garden police station based on the location and an FIR was registered against the ED officers.

Commissioner B Dayanand said a case against the ED officers is currently under investigation. "No information can be shared as the case registered against the ED officers in Valmiki Development Corporation investigations, is under investigation," Dayanand said.

The alleged Valmiki Development Corporation scam of 187 crore involves embezzlement and illegal transfer of funds. The ED had earlier raided properties linked to Nagendra, who was arrested and currently in judicial custody, and corporation chairperson and MLA Basanagouda Daddal.

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