Karnataka HC stays FIR filed against ED officials in Valmiki Corporation Case

Jul 23, 2024

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 23 : The High Court of Karnataka stayed FIR filed against ED officials over a complaint of a social welfare department officer who alleged he was harassed to take the name of CM, Deputy CM and others in government.
The court has stayed the FIR registered against the ED on the charge of pressuring an official during the investigation of irregularities in the Valmiki Development Corporation.
Two officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have moved the High Court challenging the FIR registered against them at Wilson Garden police station on the charge of pressuring them to reveal the name of former Minister Nagendra during the investigation into irregularities in the Maharshi Valmiki Development Corporation.
Now the High Court has issued an order staying the FIR against the ED officials.
The former managing director of the corporation, Kallesh, alleged that the ED officials pressured him to admit that he had transferred money illegally due to the pressure of former minister B. Nagendra and also mentally tortured him.
Earlier on Monday (July 22), the police of the city's Wilson Garden police station registered an FIR against ED officers Kannan and Mittal.
These officers filed an application in the High Court on Tuesday seeking cancellation of the FIR, and today (July 23) the High Court heard the application and ordered a stay on the FIR against the ED officers.
In its petition, the ED had said that the FIR was lodged with the intention of subverting the investigation being conducted by the Enforcement Directorate into the scam. The FIR was registered by the Karnataka Police without any preliminary inquiry. Therefore, ED lawyer Madhukar Deshpande had applied to the court to stay this. He also requested the court that this application needs an urgent hearing.