Bengaluru: In a significant development, former Karnataka Minister B Nagendra has been remanded in Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody until July 18, following his arrest in connection with the massive Valmiki Corporation embezzlement scandal.
The former minister was taken to the ED office for questioning early Friday morning from his residence in Bengaluru’s upscale Dollars Colony in the matter.
The Special People’s Court issued the remand order after Nagendra was presented before the judge on Saturday, following a grueling interrogation by ED officials that extended through Friday night. The ED’s request for a 14-day remand was curtailed by the court, granting custody only until July 18.
Nagendra, a prominent figure who served as the Minister for Scheduled Tribes Welfare, has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. “I have no role in the illegality in the Valmiki Corporation. I don’t know why the ED officials have arrested me,” he asserted upon his arrival at the ED office. He reiterated his innocence, distancing himself from the scandal that has rocked the Karnataka political landscape.
The roots of this investigation trace back to May 26, when Chandrashekaran, an accountant associated with the Valmiki Corporation, tragically took his own life. His suicide note implicated several high-profile individuals in a multi-crore embezzlement scheme, prompting a comprehensive probe by the ED. The scandal, which has unveiled a web of corruption and financial mismanagement, forced Nagendra to resign from his ministerial position on June 6.
Nagendra, a Congress MLA representing Ballari Rural, has been under intense scrutiny since the scandal broke. The ED’s investigation has exposed alarming details of financial irregularities within the Karnataka Maharishi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited (KMVSTDC), where funds meant for tribal welfare were allegedly siphoned off for personal gain.
The ED’s relentless pursuit of justice in this case has sent shockwaves through the political and administrative corridors of Karnataka, signaling a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and financial misconduct.
