Electoral bonds: Karnataka HC quashes extortion case against Sitharaman, others
The complainant alleged that Sitharaman and others extorted funds to the tune of `8,000 crore from corporates through the electoral bonds scheme by holding out the threat of action by the Enforcement Directorate.
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The HC ruled that the complainant lacked the locus standi to file an extortion case as he was not a direct victim of the extortion attempt, under IPC Sections 383 and 384.
The Karnataka high court (HC) Tuesday quashed a case of extortion registered by the Bengaluru police against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the former and current presidents of the state BJP unit, and unnamed ED officials, over the electoral bonds scheme of the BJP government.
The HC had stayed proceedings in the case earlier on September 30 after the Bengaluru police registered an FIR related to extortion against the minister and others on September 28 under IPC Sections 384 and 120 B. That came after a private complaint filed by a local anti-corruption activist, Adarsh Iyer .
The complainant alleged that Sitharaman and others extorted funds to the tune of `8,000 crore from corporates through the electoral bonds scheme by holding out the threat of action by the Enforcement Directorate.
Iyer from NGO Janadhikara Sangharsha Parishath had approached the court seeking a probe into the electoral bonds scheme on April 15 after police refused to register an FIR. A special court for elected representatives directed the filing of an FIR based on the private complaint on September 27.
The HC ruled that the complainant lacked the locus standi to file an extortion case as he was not a direct victim of the extortion attempt, under IPC Sections 383 and 384.
“…what the complainant projects is a huge hocus-pocus, but alas, he has no locus,” the court said on Tuesday.
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