Bengaluru, Oct 18 (PTI) The Bengaluru police have filed an FIR against Union Minister Pralhad Joshi's brother based on a complaint of cheating lodged by a former JD(S) MLA's wife.

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The Minister clarified he had separated himself from his brother Gopal Joshi more than three decades, and said he had filed an affidavit in the court and also published a public notice saying that anyone claiming to be his brother, relatives or friends and indulging in any financial business will not be a binding on him.

Gopal Joshi and a woman named Vijayalakshmi Joshi were booked by Basaveshwaranagar police. Gopal's son Ajay Joshi has also been named in the FIR, police sources said on Friday.

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The complaint was filed by Sunita Chavan, wife of former Nagthana MLA Devavand Phool Singh Chavan, who lost the 2023 Assembly election.

She alleged that Gopal promised the family he would secure them a BJP ticket to contest the May Lok Sabha elections when she approached him at his Hubballi residence in north Karnataka in March and later delivered Rs 25 lakh at Vijayalakshmi's house at Basaveshwaranagar here on his instruction.

Vijayalakshmi was introduced to her as Pralhad Joshi's sister, the complainant alleged, but the Minister clarified that he has no sister as they were four brothers, one of whom died in 1984 in a road accident in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar.

When the family did not get a ticket, Sunita alleged, she again approached Gopal, who told her that he was about to get a Rs 200 crore project and he would return her amount. He asked her to pay him Rs 1.75 crore, which she did, the complainant alleged.

Gopal thereafter failed to honour his promise to return the money in 20 days, the Sunita alleged, adding, she visited Vijayalakshmi's residence here but to no avail.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda told reporters here: "It appears Rs 2 crore was given in various instalments, which is also under investigation."

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, the Union Minister also read out a portion from his affidavit in the Original Suit Number 8477/2023.

“I and the said Gopal V Joshi have separated since more than 20 years. In this connection we have executed a family arraignment deed or Vaivastha Patra on March 17, 2012,” the affidavit read.

It further said, “Therefore, we do not constitute any joint family status and we do not carry out any joint transaction socially and financially. We do not live together. I am not at all connected with him in any manner or with his profession and transaction.”

“I read reports saying that I have a sister too. First of all I say on record that I don't have a sister,” the Minister said.

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