Police assure impartial probe into FIR against HD Kumaraswamy, counter complaint

Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda on Friday said an impartial probe will be conducted into the FIR against Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H. D. Kumaraswamy and counter-complaint by JD-S MLC Ramesh Gowda.

Dayananda told the media that the case will be investigated impartially.

Amrutahalli police in Bengaluru have registered an FIR against the Union Minister following an extortion complaint by former JD-S leader and businessman Vijay Tata. The police have named Gowda and Union Minister Kumaraswamy as the first and second accused in the case respectively.

However, Gowda has filed a counter-complaint with the police stating that Tata filed a "fake complaint" against him and Kumaraswamy.

"Tata, claiming to be the social media Vice President of JD-S, has been making baseless allegations. He has no connection with the party," Gowda stated.

Gowda also said that Tata himself demanded Rs 100 crore from Kumaraswamy through him.

Replying to Gowda's charge, Tata said that he would prove that JD-S MLC had come to his residence and demanded money but can he prove it?

Tata further questioned whether it is possible to demand money from the Union Minister.

The police sources stated that both parties have yet to submit evidence regarding the charges.

Reacting to extortion charges by Tata, the Union Minister said: "It is impossible to answer to street dogs and foxes."

Union Minister Kumaraswamy said, "Should I respond and answer to charges made by street dogs and foxes? Let them file an FIR, I will see the matter later."

Tata has alleged in his complaint that Gowda recently came to his residence and made him speak to Kumaraswamy.

Tata claimed in the complaint that Kumaraswamy asked him to arrange Rs 50 crore for election expenses required to win the Channapatna by-election as his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy has been finalised as the candidate.

Tata has claimed in the complaint that when he replied that he did not have that much money, Kumaraswamy got annoyed and threatened that if he did not arrange Rs 50 crore, he (Tata) would have to face the consequences, and it would be difficult for him to live in Bengaluru and carry out his real estate business.

"Afterwards, Gowda insisted on arranging Rs 50 crore and further demanded Rs 5 crore for himself, claiming that he was building a temple and a school," Tata alleged.

Tata has requested security for himself and his family.

Earlier, the Union Minister, lashing out at the Lokayukta SIT Chief ADGP M. Chandrashekhar, had alleged that the senior IPS officer in collusion with Tata, was engaged in extortion.

Kumaraswamy had alleged, "In Delhi, there is a company called PACL which has lakhs of acres across the country. Then a person by the name of Vijay Tata having association with a private channel was being backed by Chandrashekhar."

"Tata has been named in over 2,500 FIRs but there has been no action against him," Kumaraswamy claimed.