Two Karnataka BJP MLAs convicted in separate cases of corruption, fraud | Azad Times

Two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs in Karnataka have been found guilty by a special court that deals with cases involving elected representatives. Nehru Olekar, the MLA from Haveri constituency, his two sons, and six associates, have been sentenced to two years of imprisonment on corruption charges.

The case dates back to 2009-2011, when the previous BJP government was in power in the state. Olekar was accused of using his position to award civil contracts to his sons allegedly to utilise Rs 1 crore from MLAs Local Area Development Scheme (MLAADS) funds available to him. The BJP MLA allegedly connived with the municipal commissioner of Haveri city municipal council, an assistant executive engineer, a junior engineer, a senior division assistant, and two other engineers to divert the funds for personal use by granting the contracts to his sons.

Olekar’s sons allegedly obtained the contracts from the city municipal council based on falsified work certificates produced by them, which claimed prior experience in implementing civil contract work. The special court judge B Jayantha Kumar found the accused guilty of the charges brought after analysing documents and records produced by the Lokayukta.

In another incident, BJP Mudigere MLA MP Kumaraswamy has been convicted in a cheque bounce case by the special court. The court has ordered him to pay Rs 1.35 crore (1,35,90,000) to HR Huvappa Gowda, an agriculturalist from Chikkamagaluru. If he fails to pay, the MLA will have to undergo six months of imprisonment in each of the eight cases. The complainant claimed that he had earlier given Rs 1.66 crore to Kumaraswamy but the latter defaulted on repayment. The MLA returned Rs 1.4 crore before the 2018 assembly elections with a promise to settle the remaining Rs 26.7 lakh at the earliest. The complainant alleged that the MLA again asked for Rs 68 lakh with an assurance to repay it with a 2% monthly interest. The complainant had transferred the amount to Kumaraswamy.

In December 2019, the eight cheques issued by the MLA were dishonoured due to insufficient funds. The complainant filed eight private complaints under the Negotiable Instruments Act. In his order, special court judge J Preeth stated that the accused had questioned the financial capacity of the complainant and had given a cock and bull story to get away from the clutches of the law, which was not permissible.