Separated for more than 30 years, no connection with brother Gopal Joshi: Pralhad Joshi

New Delhi: Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday said that he had separated himself from his brother Gopal V Joshi more than three decades and he had no role in any financial dealings done by his brother.

The Minister issued a clarification following Bengaluru police filing an FIR against his brother based on a complaint of cheating lodged by a former JD(S) MLA's wife.

The Minister also said that he had filed an affidavit in the court and also published a public notice way back 2012 saying that anyone claiming to be his brother, relatives or friends and indulging in any financial business will not be a binding on him.

Speaking to media people, the Union Minister also read out a portion from his affidavit in the Original Suit Number 8477/2013.

“I and Gopal V Joshi have been separated for more than 30 years. In this connection we have executed a family arraignment deed or Vaivastha Patra on March 17, 2012,” the affidavit read.

It further said, “Therefore, we do not constitute any joint family status, and we do not carry out any joint transaction socially and financially. We do not live together. I am not at all connected with him in any manner or with his profession and transaction.”

The Minister also said that the FIR also stated that someone by the name of Vijaylakshmi was his sister. “This is factually wrong. I don’t have any sister.”

"On earlier occasions when he (Gopal) faced some allegations on his conduct, I had bought an injunction from City Civil Court, Bengaluru for linking my name with him. The details are clearly stated in the affidavit placed before the Court on 22.11.2013,” the Minister said.

The Basaveshwaranagar police has filed an FIR against the Union Minister’s brother based on a complaint of cheating lodged by a former JD(S) MLA's wife. Gopal Joshi, a woman named Vijayalakshmi Joshi and Gopal's son Ajay Joshi were named in the FIR.

The complaint was filed by Sunita Chavan, wife of former Nagthana MLA Devavand Phool Singh Chavan, who lost the 2023 Assembly election. She alleged that Gopal promised the family he would secure them a BJP ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections held last year and took around Rs 2 crore in installments on different occasions. However, the ticket was not given and money also not returned, she said in her complaint.