Bengaluru, September 28: A special court in Bengaluru has directed local police to file an FIR against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in connection with allegations of "extortion" linked to the now-scrapped electoral bond scheme, a report said on Saturday, September 28. It must be noted that Nirmala Sitharaman is a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka.

According to a report published by Oneindia, the complaint was filed by Adarsh Iyer from Janaadhikara Sangharsha Sanghatane (JSS), who accused Sitharaman and her department of orchestrating extortion through electoral bonds. The Special Court for People’s Representatives, after reviewing the case, ordered the Tilak Nagar police station to register an FIR. Electoral Bonds Data: BJP Got Rs 6,986.5 Crore Through Poll Bonds; Future Gaming and Hotel Services Top Donor for DMK.

Iyer described the electoral bond scheme as a scam that exposed the entire nation, emphasizing that their complaints and evidence demonstrate a clear-cut case of extortion and corruption by the union minister and her BJP colleagues in Karnataka. He further claimed that data uploaded by the State Bank of India (SBI) clearly shows how the extortion took place.

In a landmark ruling in February 2024, the Supreme Court declared the electoral bond scheme unconstitutional. The scheme, which allegedly allowed political parties to receive large sums of money without disclosing donor identities, has raised significant concerns about corporate influence in politics. Annapoorna Group Chairman Srinivasan Allegedly Apologises to Nirmala Sitharaman After Questioning Finance Minister Over GST Complexities, Video Goes Viral.

Following this ruling, Janaadhikara Sangharsha Sanghatane (JSS) submitted a complaint in April 2024 at the 42nd ACMM Court in Bengaluru. The complaint named several prominent politicians and officials, including Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP national president JP Nadda, former BJP Karnataka president Nalin Kumar Kateel, BY Vijayendra, and representatives from the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The complaint alleges that these individuals conspired to extort funds through the electoral bond scheme by leveraging raids conducted by the ED.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 28, 2024 04:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).