Valmiki corporation scam: Ex-minister Nagendra taken to ED office after two days of search at his house

Bengaluru: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday took former minister and Congress MLA B Nagendra to its office in Shanthinagar after having searched his house for nearly two days over the scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.

The central agency commenced simultaneous raids at over 15 places across Karnataka on Wednesday morning following the ongoing investigations into the multi-crore scam in the corporation when Nagendra was the scheduled tribes welfare minister. He resigned in June.

It has been alleged that Rs 89.9 crore was illegally transferred from the corporation's Union Bank of India account into several unauthorised accounts.

The ED barred Nagendra from stepping out of his house in Dollars Colony for the last two days while the searches were under way. He was taken to the ED office on Thursday for questioning.

While the ED has concluded its searches at most places, no arrests have been made.

The other places where officers launched raids were Congress MLA Basanagouda Daddal’s residences and offices in Raichur, Bengaluru, and the corporation’s head office in Bengaluru's Vasanthnagar. The ED also went to the houses of three former employees of the Union Bank of India.