ED Questions Manjula Nagendra in Rs 187 Crore Corporation Scam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) interrogated Manjula Nagendra, wife of Congress MLA B Nagendra, concerning a Rs 187 crore scam in Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation. The scam surfaced after the corporation’s accounts superintendent died by suicide, exposing unauthorized transfers to various accounts, including those of IT firms and a cooperative bank.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday questioned Manjula Nagendra, wife of former minister B Nagendra, in connection with a Rs 187 crore scam involving a state-owned corporation.

Manjula was summoned for interrogation over alleged financial irregularities in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.

Her husband, Congress MLA Nagendra, is already in ED custody.

The scam came to light after Chandrashekhar P, the accounts superintendent of the corporation, died by suicide on May 26, leaving behind a note that revealed the unauthorized transfer of Rs 187 crore from the corporation's bank account. Of this, Rs 88.62 crore was allegedly moved to accounts belonging to known IT companies and a Hyderabad cooperative bank among others.

Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister B Nagendra resigned on June 6 following allegations against him related to the scam.

The ED, which joined the investigation following a complaint by the Union Bank of India to the Central Bureau of Investigation, had previously raided Nagendra and Basanagouda Daddal, the Valmiki Corporation Chairman and Raichur Rural Congress MLA.