HD Kumaraswamy, son accused of threatening SIT chief to derail 550-acre illegal mining investigation

ADGP M Chandra Sekhar, head of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing illegal mining cases, filed a police complaint on Friday against Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy and his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy. 

The complaint alleges that the two threatened him in an attempt to derail the investigation into the former chief minister's involvement in the case.

The probe against Kumaraswamy pertains to allegations that he illegally approved a 550-acre mining lease to Sri Sai Venkateswara Minerals (SSVM) in Bellary district in violation of law during his tenure as Karnataka chief minister from 2006 to 2008.

He is now the Union minister for steel and heavy industries.

"The SIT, after preparing the investigation report and having found substantial evidence and material to prosecute the accused (Kumaraswamy), had written to H E Governor of Karnataka seeking sanction for prosecution against the accused Sh H D Kumaraswamy on 21/11/2023," Sekhar said in his complaint lodged at Sanjay Nagar police station as reported by PTI.

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, vide his letter dated July 29, 2024, sought certain clarifications after going through the report, he said.

This communication along with other documents reached the Special Investigation Team (SIT) after 11 days on the evening of August 8. The clarification sought was sent on August 19 and the governor returned the file on August 29 with a request to translate it from Kannada to English, the ADGP said.

According to Deccan Herald, Chandra Sekhar also claims that "he (Kumaraswamy) knows the precise details of the communication between the SIT and the Governor. Moreover, he possesses the same documents that the SIT has collected as evidence against him. How is that possible?”

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"The SIT is just one step away from prosecuting this accused Kumaraswamy," Sekhar said.

Kumaraswamy, who is out on bail, addressed a series of press briefings on September 28 "and made false and malicious allegations and threats to me", he alleged

Sekhar alleged that this was done to deter him and the SIT from pursuing the cases against Kumaraswamy.

Kumaraswamy and alleged threats

"The accused has, with a pre-designed plan to derail the investigation being conducted by the SIT against him, verbally attacked me and threatened to have me shifted from my cadre to another state.

"Very clearly, the accused is intimidating me by threatening to have me shifted from Karnataka and also cause trouble to my family members. The accused by his conduct has threatened me and my family of injury to forbear and prevent me from proceeding further with prosecution of the accused. This act of the accused is an offence punishable under section 224 BNS 2023," the ADGP said in his complaint.

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