FIR registered against HD Kumaraswamy, son for threatening IPS officer

An FIR was filed against Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy, and JD(S) MLA Suresh Babu over alleged threats against an investigating officer in a mining case.

In Short

• SIT officer accused HD Kumaraswamy of threatening him for probing mining scam
• Probe about Kumaraswamy’s alleged approvals for mining when he was chief minister
• Kumaraswamy dismisses the allegations, calling them ‘ridiculous and malicious’

An FIR was registered against Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Janata Dal (Secular) MLA Suresh Babu. The case has been lodged on the complaint by a senior officer who accused the three of threatening him for investigating a mining case against Kumaraswamy.

Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) M Chandrasekhar, in his complaint, alleged that Kumaraswamy threatened a government servant and prevented him from discharging his duties.

The probe against Kumaraswamy pertains to allegations that he, during his tenure as Karnataka Chief Minister from 2006 to 2008, illegally approved a 550-acre mining lease to Sri Sai Venkateswara Minerals (SSVM) in Bellary district in violation of law.

According to Chandrasekhar, he was heading the Special Investigation Team that was investigating a mining case in which Kumaraswamy is an accused and that they tried to obstruct an investigation into the scam.

The senior officer alleged that HD Kumaraswamy made false claims against the former after the officer asked for permission to take legal action against 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 the Governor of Karnataka seeking sanction for prosecution against the accused HD Kumaraswamy on 21/11/2023,” Sekhar stated in his complaint lodged at Sanjay Nagar police station in Bengaluru city on Monday, November 4.

The ADGP alleged that Kumaraswamy and his son Nikhil made allegations against him to intimidate him. “He said that I’ve obtained fake medical records to continue as Karnataka cadre officer,” Chandrasekhar said.

The complaint also stated that Kumaraswamy made threatening remarks against him and his family.

Chandrashekhar has been conducting the investigation into an illegal mining case, which is being monitored by the Supreme Court.

However, the Union minister responded to the allegations, calling them “ridiculous and malicious”.

“After having read the complaint, I realised it was completely ridiculous and malicious," Kumaraswamy told reporters at Ramanagara.

With inputs from agencies