Bengaluru: Karnataka Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister B Nagendra resigned after his name surfaced in a £18.7 mn illegal money transfer scam that came to light following the suicide of a state government employee.
Chandrashekharan P, the accounts superintendent of the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd, committed suicide on May 26, holding his superiors and the minister responsible for the scam.
“Not wanting to embarrass the party, he (Nagendra) voluntarily came forward and has resigned. We did not ask him to resign. We had a discussion with him," deputy CM Shivakumar was quoted as saying.
Shivakumar also said that Nagendra was ready for any probe, including by the CBI.
The suicide has led to a political row in the state with the BJP targeting the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government. Karnataka BJP chief BY Vijayendra alleged that Congress leaders were indulging in corruption under the guise of working for Dalits and tribal communities.
Earlier, the police had filed an FIR against three government officials for abetment of suicide. Further investigation into the case is underway.
