Indian Express: Bangalore: Wednesday, 21 August 2024.
In response to a Right to
Information (RTI) query, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has revealed
that it was not investigating the alleged multi-crore Sri Guru Raghavendra
Sahakara Bank Niyamitha (SGRSBN) cooperative bank scam, contradicting Karnataka
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s claim.
As per reports, Siddaramaiah ordered a CBI inquiry into the alleged SGRSBN scam last December “to deliver justice for the depositors” who had invested their lifetime savings in the bank “with dreams like marriage, owning a house, etc.”
The CBI, in its response to the RTI query by H M Manjunathaiah, a resident of Bengaluru, dated August 14, said, “It is to inform that CBI has not taken over the case related to the bank.”
In 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed withdrawal restrictions on SGRSBN after a probe revealed that over Rs 2,500 crore were allegedly misappropriated by the bank management. Later, it was revealed that a huge sum of money was siphoned off by the management. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) till date have attached assets worth Rs 159 crore and have continued the probe.
Earlier another Bengaluru resident, K N Srikantaiah, had written to the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions seeking information whether any Central Government agency was investigating the case. In its reply on July 15, the Central Government, through Under Secretary Satyam Srivastava, has mentioned that Karnataka has not yet made a request through single window system to investigate the alleged bank scam.
The victims of the bank say that they are baffled to know that the case was never investigated by the CBI. Harsha S N, one of the investors said, “In December last year Siddaramaiah claimed that the case was handed over to CBI. However, now we came to know that the case was never handed over. We have been deceived by the government.”
Minister for Cooperation K N Rajanna in July last year claimed that the case would be handed over to the CBI after translators finish their work.
When the alleged scam was exposed, the then Opposition party Congress attacked the BJP that was ruling the state and demanded to handover the case to the CBI. The party also had promised that it would hand over the case to the CBI if they win the Assembly elections in 2023.
As per reports, Siddaramaiah ordered a CBI inquiry into the alleged SGRSBN scam last December “to deliver justice for the depositors” who had invested their lifetime savings in the bank “with dreams like marriage, owning a house, etc.”
The CBI, in its response to the RTI query by H M Manjunathaiah, a resident of Bengaluru, dated August 14, said, “It is to inform that CBI has not taken over the case related to the bank.”
In 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed withdrawal restrictions on SGRSBN after a probe revealed that over Rs 2,500 crore were allegedly misappropriated by the bank management. Later, it was revealed that a huge sum of money was siphoned off by the management. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) till date have attached assets worth Rs 159 crore and have continued the probe.
Earlier another Bengaluru resident, K N Srikantaiah, had written to the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions seeking information whether any Central Government agency was investigating the case. In its reply on July 15, the Central Government, through Under Secretary Satyam Srivastava, has mentioned that Karnataka has not yet made a request through single window system to investigate the alleged bank scam.
The victims of the bank say that they are baffled to know that the case was never investigated by the CBI. Harsha S N, one of the investors said, “In December last year Siddaramaiah claimed that the case was handed over to CBI. However, now we came to know that the case was never handed over. We have been deceived by the government.”
Minister for Cooperation K N Rajanna in July last year claimed that the case would be handed over to the CBI after translators finish their work.
When the alleged scam was exposed, the then Opposition party Congress attacked the BJP that was ruling the state and demanded to handover the case to the CBI. The party also had promised that it would hand over the case to the CBI if they win the Assembly elections in 2023.
.JPG)
.JPG)
