Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Oct 22: Just as the election ticket fraud case against pro-Hindu organization worker Chaitra Kundapura is fresh, another ticket scam has surfaced in the state, leading to a police FIR filed against four individuals including a former BJP leader and an alleged current Puttur party worker.

In this case, a man has been defrauded of several crores of rupees with the promise of a BJP ticket for the recently concluded Assembly polls in Karnataka. The police initiated a case following a complaint lodged by Shivamurthy, a retired engineer and resident of Kottur. It has now come to light that during the last Assembly election, a group of four individuals swindled Shivamurthy by offering him a ticket for the Hagaribommanahalli SC reserved assembly constituency.

Complainant Shivamurthy & accused former BJP leader Revanasiddappa 

Rs 2.55 crore swindled, Rs 90 lac cheque bounces

Shivamurthy stated that he was conned out of Rs 65 lac under the pretext of covering party-related expenses. Furthermore, the fraudsters managed to obtain a total of Rs 1.90 crore from him in exchange for a BJP ticket. Thus, he fell victim to a grand total of ?2.55 crore, allegedly. On October 19, Shivamurthy filed a complaint with the Kottur police station regarding this case, resulting in the registration of an FIR.

"When I failed to secure the ticket, I demanded a refund of the money. They issued a Rs 90 lac cheque for it, with October 10 being the stipulated date. However, the cheque bounced," Shivamurthy alleged.

The complaint identified the culprits as Mohan Kataria, the owner of Katari Optical in Kottur; Revanasiddappa, a former BJP leader and the current district president of the Janardhana Reddy party in Vijayanagar; and Shekhar Purushottam Nirlakatte (Rajasekhar) based in Puttur. According to the complaint, Shekhar is a prominent BJP figure in Puttur. The fraudsters have received a total of Rs 1.90 crore thus far. Shivamurthy has claimed that Rs 65 lac was supposedly spent on various BJP activities and has filed a complaint supported by records detailing the money he provided. The complaint also highlights that Shivamurthy is currently facing threats from the fraudsters as he demands his money back.

MP Nalin Kumar Kateel's role alleged

Shivamurthy, who has suffered financial losses, composed a letter addressed to CM Siddaramaiah and home minister Dr G Parameshwar, in which he provided comprehensive information about the individuals accused of defrauding him. He implored the authorities to take action against the alleged wrongdoers and facilitate the return of the misappropriated funds. The letter mentions that the fraudsters introduced Shivamurthy to Puttur BJP leader Shekhar on October 23, 2022.

According to the letter, Shivamurthy subsequently met Nalin Kumar Kateel at the BJP office in Bengaluru. He explained in his letter that Nalin Kumar Kateel advised him to contact Puttur BJP leader Shekhar NP directly regarding the ticket issue.