Illegal mining cases: ADGP claims Kumaraswamy trying to scuttle probe, lodges police complaint

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, via his letter dated July 29, 2024, sought certain clarifications after going through the report

ADGP M. Chandra Sekhar, who heads the SIT investigating illegal mining cases, on Friday lodged a police complaint against Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy for allegedly threatening him to scuttle the probe against the former CM.

The probe against Kumaraswamy pertains to allegations that he illegally approved a 550-acre mining lease to Sri Sai Venkateswara Minerals (SSVM) in Bellary district in violation of law during his tenure as Karnataka Chief Minister from 2006 to 2008. He is now the Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries. “The SIT, after preparing the investigation report and having found substantial evidence and material to prosecute the accused (Kumaraswamy), had written to H.E. Governor of Karnataka seeking sanction for prosecution against the accused Sh. H.D. Kumaraswamy on 21/11/2023,” Sekhar said in his complaint lodged at Sanjay Nagar police station.

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, via his letter dated July 29, 2024, sought certain clarifications after going through the report, he said. This communication, along with other documents, reached the Special Investigation Team (SIT) after 11 days on the evening of August 8. The clarification sought was sent on August 19, and the governor returned the file on August 29 with a request to translate it from Kannada to English, the ADGP said. “The SIT is just one step away from prosecuting this accused Kumaraswamy,” Sekhar said.

Kumaraswamy, who is out on bail, addressed a series of press briefings on September 28 “and made false and malicious allegations and threats to me,” he alleged. Sekhar alleged that this was done to deter him and the SIT from pursuing the cases against Kumaraswamy. “The accused has, with a pre-designed plan to derail the investigation being conducted by the SIT against him, verbally attacked me and threatened to have me shifted from my cadre to another state.”

“Very clearly, the accused is intimidating me by threatening to have me shifted from Karnataka and also cause trouble to my family members. The accused, by his conduct, has threatened me and my family with injury to forbear and prevent me from proceeding further with prosecution of the accused. This act of the accused is an offense punishable under section 224 BNS 2023,” the ADGP said in his complaint.