Electoral Bonds Scheme: Bengaluru court sends complaint against Nirmala Sitharaman to police

A Bengaluru court on Friday sent a complaint related to the Electoral Bonds Scheme against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and others to the city police.

The complaint alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members, including JP Nadda, extorted private firms and made illegal gains under the Electoral Bonds Scheme that was struck down by the Supreme Court in February this year.

The order passed by the XLII Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate at Bengaluru stated,

"Office to send the complaint and connected papers to the said police station. Await FIR, Call on 10.10.2024."

The private complaint was registered before the Court by activist Adarsh R Iyer of non-governmental organisation (NGO) Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath.

In his complaint, Iyer had claimed that Sitharaman and some officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) connived with Nadda and others to commit “extortion under the guise and garb of electoral bonds and benefited to the tune of 8000 and more crores of INR.”

The complaint mentions instances of raids by ED on companies such as Vedanta, Sterlite and Aurobindo Pharma to get their proprietors to donate money through the Electoral Bonds Scheme.

Iyer also told the Court that he had approached Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Bengaluru South East on February 4 this year with a complaint seeking appropriate action. However, the police did not take any action, prompting him to approach the Court.