The Bengaluru police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and other BJP leaders, following allegations of irregularities related to the controversial electoral bonds scheme. The complainant claims that the suspects benefited by over Rs 8,000 crore.
The FIR was filed at Tilak Nagar police station after a court order on Friday. A special court for cases involving elected representatives directed the police to initiate an investigation into the matter.
The complaint, lodged by Adarsh R. Iyer, co-president of Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath (JSP), alleges that Sitharaman and officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) engaged in a criminal conspiracy and extortion under the guise of the electoral bonds scheme, compelling entities and individuals to purchase bonds in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The FIR lists Sitharaman as A1, ED officials as A2, and various BJP office bearers, including Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra and senior leader Naleen Kumar Kateel, as suspects. The charges were filed under Sections 384 (extortion), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (acts done by several persons with common intent) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The electoral bonds scheme, introduced in 2018, allowed anonymous donations to political parties. However, in February 2024, the Supreme Court struck down the scheme, declaring it unconstitutional.
Iyer’s complaint alleges that Sitharaman and others extorted funds for BJP leaders at the state and national levels, with the ED used to conduct raids and arrests to facilitate the scheme. While BJP national president J.P. Nadda was named in the initial complaint, the FIR does not include him.
The police have initiated an investigation into the allegations.
