Kabab vendor, mutt seer: How Karnataka right-wing activist cheated businessman of Rs 4 crore by promising BJP ticket

A police officer said Kundapur had taken shelter at Youth Congress leader Suraiyya Anjum’s house before she was arrested. “We have served a notice to Anjum to appear before the investigating officer in this regard,” added the officer.

Kundapur also faces multiple cases where she has been accused of making derogatory and provocative speeches against other communities.

During their investigation against Kundapur and others, the police found out a man was made to impersonate an RSS leader and a street-side kabab vendor was made to pose as a top BJP leader to cheat the businessman Govind Babu Pujari, 44. They began their probe after Poojari, a resident of Bengaluru, filed a complaint on September 8.

According to Pujari’s complaint, he met Kundapur in June 2022 and was asked to come to the Chikkamagalur government guest house where he was introduced to Gagan Kadur, the Chikkamagalur Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) secretary.

A police officer said Kundapur had taken shelter at Youth Congress leader Suraiyya Anjum’s house before she was arrested.

In his complaint, Pujari said Kadur claimed he knew people in the Prime Minister’s Office and that of the Union Home Minister and assured him of a BJP ticket. Kadur also told Pujari he would get him a ticket through Vishwanath, an RSS leader from Chikkamagalur who was living in North India.

On July 4, 2022, Pujari met Vishwanath who claimed to be the bridge between the RSS and BJP and said he decides who gets a ticket. Vishwanath asked Pujari to give Rs 50 lakh to Kadur and once the process of choosing the candidates begins, he would have to give another Rs 3 crore. Vishwanath also assured Pujari that if he did not get a ticket, his money would be returned.

On July 7, Pujari said in the complaint that he gave Kadur Rs 50 lakh in front of the Shivamogga RSS office. Later, Kundapur held a conference call during which Vishwanath said central leaders of the BJP had confirmed Pujari would get a ticket.

In September 2022, in another conference call, Vishwanath directed Pujari to meet Hirehadagali Abhinava Halasri mutt seer whose recommendation he said would play an important role in the decision about the ticket.

Pujari said, in his complaint, he then met the seer who asked him for Rs 1.5 crore and said he was in touch with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On January 16 this year, Pujari said he met the seer in Bengaluru and paid the money.

On October 23 last year, Pujari was also asked to pay Rs 3 crore to a leader who they said was part of the BJP’s central election committee. On October 29, Pujari paid the money to Kundapur and her team members.

On March 8 this year, Pujari received a call stating that Vishwanath had died due to breathing difficulties. Sensing something was wrong, Pujari checked with one of his friends, a retired defence officer, who told him there was no RSS leader called Vishwanath.

On April 24, Pujari called Kundapur and Kadur to his office and asked them to return his money. According to Pujari, they told him that Rs 3.5 crore was with Vishwanath and when Pujari said he would file a complaint, Kundapur threatened him saying she would stage a suicide attempt. She also demanded time to return his money.

The next day, Pujari met the seer and asked for the money he had given him. The seer assured him he would return the money and requested to leave him out of the issue.

Meanwhile, Pujari said in his complaint that he managed to track down the man who claimed to be RSS leader Vishwanath with the help of his friend Manju, also a right-wing activist in Chikkamagalur.

Pujari found it was Ramesh who had posed as Vishwanath. According to Pujari’s complaint, Ramesh confessed he was offered Rs 1.2 lakh to impersonate an RSS leader and was given training. Pujari also found out Naik, who was introduced as the BJP’s central election committee member, was a street-side kabab vendor in Bengaluru.

When Pujari confronted Kundapur with the information, she threatened to send him to prison or get him killed saying she also knew people from the underworld.

The police have registered cases under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 170 (pretends to hold any particular office as public servant), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 120(b) (criminal conspiracy).