Bengaluru police file first case against ex-officials
The First Information Report (FIR) was registered late on Friday at the Vidhana Soudha police station on the basis of a complaint filed by DME chief accounts officer Dr M Vishnuprasad
The Bengaluru police has registered an FIR against former officials of the Karnataka department of medical education (DME) for criminal breach of trust and conspiracy in connection with the alleged irregularities associated with Covid-19 procurement practices during the tenure of the previous BJP government in the state.
The first information report (FIR) was registered late on Friday at the Vidhana Soudha police station on the basis of a complaint filed by DME chief accounts officer Dr M Vishnuprasad, and names former DME director Dr PG Girish and joint director (accounts) GC Raghu, along with non-gazetted officer in the health and family welfare department Muniraju N, two firms — Laj Exports, Prudent Management Solutions — and unknown public representatives, among others.
The complaint alleged misappropriation of over ₹167 crore in the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits and N-95 masks during the BJP regime in 2020-21.
It further accused government officers, along with other individuals, of conniving and collecting these essential materials and misappropriating hundreds of crores of rupees in the name of Covid management.
Confirming the complaint, central deputy commissioner of police, Shekhar H Tekkannavar, said: “All the accused charged under sections 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property) 120b (criminal conspiracy), 406(criminal breach of trust), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent) under the IPC. We are interrogating the case and would serve notices to the accused soon.”
The development comes in the backdrop of the recommendations justice Michael D’Cunha report, which focused on the alleged mismanagement during the Covid-19 pandemic under the BJP’s rule in Karnataka and claimed that the government failed to utilise the substantial ₹447 crore allocated for relief and health care. Chief minister Siddaramaiah, too, had said a few weeks ago that the government would get the Covid-19 related irregularities investigated.
The Opposition BJP, however, termed the complaint “political maneuvering”.
“The FIR in the Covid-19 case is nothing but political maneuvering. The basis on which the FIR has been registered lacks logical reasoning... The state government is attempting to distract the public from various issues, including the MUDA scam and the misuse of funds in the Valmiki Development Corporation, by orchestrating these developments,” BJP MP Jagadish Shettar told reporters in New Delhi.