Activist Snehamayi Krishna booked, questioned

Mysuru-based anti-corruption activist Snehamayi Krishna, the complainant in the MUDA case against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his family members, was questioned for almost all day by the Bengaluru City Police on Friday for allegedly using forged documents and audio to make false allegations.

While his son claimed Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths picked him up from Mysuru and were holding him at an undisclosed location, the city police claimed Mr. Krishna was served a notice and he was voluntarily cooperating with the investigation.

When last checked while going to print on Friday night, he was still being questioned, but not arrested yet.

BJP leaders condemned the police action terming it “political vengeance”. 

Mr. Krishna has been booked based on a complaint by former Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) commissioner D. B. Natesh, who alleged that Mr. Krishna used forged documents and an audio clip to make false allegations against him on social media.

The FIR was registered on February 18. It was during Mr. Natesh’s tenure as MUDA Commissioner that the Chief Minister’s wife B. M. Parvathi was allotted 14 alternative sites in lieu of 3.16 acres of land. The ED had raided him, but the High Court later quashed the ED proceedings against him.

Earlier in the day on Friday, CCB officials, armed with a search warrant obtained from the court, raided two residences of Mr. Krishna in Mysuru.

His son Vivek, speaking to mediapersons in Mysuru, said the police had seized several documents and digital storage devices.

Condemning the police action, he said the government would be responsible if anything were to happen to his father.

“They tried to bribe my father to back off from his struggle against corruption in MUDA. But when he did not budge, they have now arrested him,” he alleged.

Earlier this week, Mr. Krishna had posted an audio on Facebook, which he claimed to be of Mr. Natesh talking to an unidentified person, asking him to arrange a face-to-face meeting with Mr. Krishna.

In his complaint, Mr. Natesh claimed the audio was fake. Further Mr. Krishna had alleged that Mr. Natesh had bribed Chief Secretary Shalini Rajaneesh to get a promotion. He had also written to the Income Tax and Directorate of Enforcement making the same charges and demanded that both bureaucrats be probed.

“Mr. Krishna is cooperating with the investigation and is providing us details. We are cross-checking facts. We will arrest him if we find he is either trying to mislead us or his version of events do not corroborate with facts,” a senior Bengaluru police official said. Sources said police have seized his phone and are subjecting it to forensic examination.  

The police action has drawn flak from BJP. Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly R. Ashok said the Congress government had imposed an undeclared emergency in the State, targeting anyone who is opposed to the ruling dispensation.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said the Chief Minister had been waiting to take revenge against Mr. Krishna, and had misused the opportunity.