Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court issued an interim stay on the police FIR filed against Union Finance Minister Niramala Sitaraman, BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra, former State President Nalin Kumar Kateel, ED officials and others.
The single division bench, led by Justice M. Nagaprasanna, issued the order on Monday after reviewing the petition filed by former BJP State President Nalin Kumar Kateel. The hearing has been adjourned until October 22, ensuring a thorough legal process.
Senior attorney K. Raghavan, representing BJP leader Kateel, argued that the allegations in the FIR do not meet the criteria of extortion. He claimed that even the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is named as an accused in the lawsuit.
Senior counsel Prashant Bhushan, who appeared on behalf of complainant Adarsh Iyer, alleged that funds were raised for a political party by instilling fear of the ED. This is nothing but extortion, he claimed.
The bench observed that extortion involves threatening and making money. Those who were extorted will have to file a complaint before the police. However, the complainant has not stated that he was extorted.
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Besides, sources confirmed on Monday that the Karnataka BJP is planning to file a petition before the High Court seeking quashing of the FIR against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, state BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra, and others.
The petition will be filed before the High Court by Wednesday (October 2).
The FIR was filed at the Tilak Nagar police station in response to an order from the Bengaluru Special Court for Public Representatives.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, against whom an FIR has been filed with the Karnataka Lokayukta, asked for FM Nirmala Sitharaman’s resignation. The BJP is fiercely demanding Siddaramaiah’s removal following the filing of the FIR.
On Saturday, the Karnataka Police filed a FIR against FM Sitharaman on claims of ‘extortion’ via electoral bonds.
The Tilak Nagar police in Bengaluru filed the FIR as per the directions of the Special Court of MLAs/MPs.
FM Sitharaman has been named as the prime accused in the case.
The second accused are ED officers, the third are Central BJP office bearers, the fourth is former Karnataka BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, and the fifth is state BJP president Vijayendra. The sixth accused are state BJP officeholders.
The police have filed an FIR under IPC Sections 384 (extortion), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (acts committed by multiple people in furtherance of a common objective).
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–IANS
