At least 80 per cent of the Rs 5 crore that was allegedly swindled by a gang that was led by a gang led by right-wing activist Chaitra Kundapura from a businessman Govindbabu Poojary promising a BJP ticket in the Karnataka elections has now been accounted for, which suggested that no money was collected by any BJP leader, The Indian Express reported, citing police sources.
An amount of Rs 60 lakh was found at the Halashri Mutt in the state’s Vijayanagara region after it was allegedly left there by a close associate of the mutt seer, G M Abhinava Halaveerappajja, who is the key accused in the case.
The mutt priest and six other accused in the conspiracy to cheat Poojary and was arrested by Bengaluru Crime Branch Police on Tuesday in Odisha.
On September 8, Poojary had filed a police complaint in Bengaluru over the alleged cheating case in 2022 when he was aspiring to contest the recently-concluded Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections. He alleged that he was promised a ticket from Byndoor constituency in Udupi.
In his complaint, Poojary alleged that he paid Rs 1.5 crore out of the total Rs five crore to Halaveerappajja, who was named as the third accused. The complainant further alleged that he did it on the suggestion of on the suggestion of Kundapura and her associate Gagan Kadur, a BJP Yuva Morcha leader.
“The entire cheating episode was the handiwork of Kundapura and her associates along with the seer. Nearly 80 per cent of the funds that were swindled is now accounted for,” a Bengaluru Crime Branch official said.
Police sources said that the entire Rs 5 crore that was collected from the businessman is now accounted for, the possibility of the involvement of any BJP leader in the cash-for-poll ticket cheating incident is ruled out.