Complaint against Yediyurappa, ministers for misappropriation of funds during Covid

Bengaluru: An RTI activist T.J. Abraham has lodged a complaint with the Lokayukta against former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP leader B.S. Yediyurappa, sitting ministers and nine IAS officers for alleged loot and embezzlement of Rs 821.22 crore during the Covid pandemic.

The complaint had been lodged against 28 persons and documents were also submitted to the Karnataka Lokayukta, pressing for investigation. During the management of Covid, through Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), crores of rupees were misused and fraud was committed by showing purchases of ambulances.

Yediyurappa, then CM, Dr C.N. Ashwath Narayan, then Deputy CM, minister for housing V. Somanna, then education minister V. Suresh Kumar, Minister for Urban Development Bhyrathi Basavaraju, Excise minister K. Gopalaiah, BDA Chairman, BJP MLA S.R. Vishwanath are named in the complaint.

The complaint also mentions IAS officers Gaurav Gupta, Manoj Kumar Meena, Dr. P. Jaffer, Ravikumar Surpur, V. Anbu Kumar, Dr. N. Manjula, Dr. R. Vishal, Ujjwal Kumar Gosh, Pankaj Kumar Pandey. In total the complaint has been lodged against 28 persons.

“A criminal act of fraud, misappropriation and embezzlement of public funds within the Rs 821.22 crore allegedly spent by BBMP to manage the Covid pandemic in Bengaluru. The accused BJP leaders were in-charge of various zones during Covid for effective management.

“Between March 2021 and October 2022, there was a wave of Covid rampant corruption-related incidents across service delivery; health; governance; leadership; medical products; vaccines, technologies; health management information systems; and human resources.

“This is to draw your attention specifically to the anti public interest acts committed by the accused persons, in the form of the criminal fraud of falsely showing four seater Sedan maxi cabs, three-wheeler autos, three-wheeler luggage carriers and two wheeler bikes as also ambulances during the Covid-19 pandemic and falsely claiming the rentals for ambulances,” the complaint said.

The GPS was not used in any of the vehicles. The complainant has demanded registration of a FIR as mandated by the Supreme Court under section 13 (1) (a) (b) and (c), section 11 of Prevention of Corruption Act and under IPC Sections 120B, 200, 409, 420, 464.