Karnataka HC Halts Probe Against FinMin Nirmala Sitharaman, Others In Electoral Bonds Case

The Karnataka High Court has paused the investigation until October 22 in an FIR against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and other BJP leaders, who are accused of extorting money under the pretext of electoral bonds.

This decision comes following a petition filed by former Karnataka BJP President Naleen Kumar Kateel, who is also implicated in the case.

Photo Credit: PTI

The FIR, registered under IPC sections 384 (extortion), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (acts done by several persons with a common intention), accuses Sitharaman, Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, and BJP office-bearers at both state and national levels.

The case was filed based on the order of a special court.

The complaint, lodged by Adarsh Iyer, alleges that government agencies like the ED were used to coerce companies into purchasing electoral bonds, reported LiveLaw.

According to the complainant, Sitharaman, with the clandestine assistance of ED officials, facilitated the extortion of thousands of crores of rupees for others' benefit at both the state and national levels.

"The entire extortion racket under the garb of electoral bonds has been orchestrated hand in glove with officials of BJP at various levels," Iyer claimed.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled against the electoral bond scheme, stating it violated the right to information and freedom of speech under the Constitution.

Senior Advocate KG Raghavan, representing Kateel, argued that purchasing electoral bonds "can never be extortion in the eyes of law."

However, Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the complainant, countered, "If they put the fear in the mind of companies that ED will raid and then they are forced to buy electoral bonds and then ED stops action, then this is a classic case of extortion."

(With PTI inputs)