K’taka BJP to approach HC to quash FIR against FM Sitharaman, Vijayendra in electoral bond case
Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP will 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 lodged by the state police, sources confirmed on Monday.
The petition will be filed before the High Court by Wednesday (October 2).
The Karnataka state BJP Legal Cell unit has prepared the draft of the petition to the High Court, seeking the quashing of the FIR.
Citing the urgency of the matter, the request will be made before the High Court for an immediate hearing on the day of submission of the petition.
The FIR was registered at the Tilak Nagar police station following an order from the Bengaluru Special Court for Public Representatives in this regard.
The matter has taken a political turn with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah against whom an FIR has been registered with the Karnataka Lokayukta, demanding the resignation of FM Nirmala Sitharaman.
The BJP is vehemently demanding the ouster of CM Siddaramaiah following the lodging of the FIR.
Sources explained that the BJP will argue that the allegations are baseless and highlight that it is being used as a political weapon by the Karnataka government.
In a major development, the Karnataka Police registered an FIR against FM Sitharaman on last Saturday in connection with allegations of ‘extortion’ through 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 officials of the ED have been named as the second accused while the office bearers of the Central BJP office have been named as the third accused; former Karnataka BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel as the fourth accused and state BJP chief Vijayendra as the fifth accused in the case. The state BJP office bearers are named as the sixth accused.
The police have booked the FIR under IPC Sections 384 (extortion), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).