NEW DELHI, SEPT 22: A CBI witness in the JMM MPs bribery case today told a city court that Canara Bank authorities had allowed withdrawal of Rs one crore from its currency chest on a special consideration for M Thimme Gowda, an accused in the case.Senior manager P S Mahale told special judge Ajit Bharihoke that on July 30, 1993, Thimme Gowda had requested the Seshadri Puram branch at Bangalore for withdrawal of the money on the basis of an over draft and the permission was given by the then managing director of the bank.The CBI which had chargesheeted two Bangalore-based liquor barons Thimme Gowda and D K Adikeshvulu for allegedly arranging funds for payments to the MPs on the eve of July 28, 1993 no-confidence motion against P V Narasimha Government said that the money was arranged at instance of then Karnataka chief minister Veerappa Moily.Mahale said he along with three other officials of the branch had collected Rs 95 lakh from the Rajmahal Bilas currency chest in the afternoon.Two cheques forRs 60 lakh and Rs 25 lakh were credited to the accounts of Ranganatha Group and Yelamma Enterprises while Rs 15 lakh was withdrawn by Thimme Gowda himself, Mahale said adding the money deposited in the two company's name was withdrawn through two cheques.The court fixed November 10 for further proceedings in the case.
