RTI activist alleges threat to life from minister

RTI activist Nandish H S has alleged that he is being repeatedly threatened, using government machinery, to withdraw his complaint against Cooperation Minister H S Mahadeva Prasad.

Nandish had filed a complaint against the minister with the Lokayukta police in 2012, alleging that the latter had submitted a false affidavit to Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) to acquire a site at a subsidised rate in Chamarajanagar.

It is alleged that he had falsely declared that he did not own any site in the State.
Speaking at a press meet, Nandish said that police officers, community leaders and others have been repeatedly calling him up, demanding that he withdraw his complaint against the minister.

Alleging that the minister was using government machinery to threaten him, he said that IAS, IPS officers too were harassing him over the issue.

He said that he had been receiving threats for the past several months, with Nanjunda Prasad, brother of the minister, warning him of “dire consequences” if the case was not withdrawn.

Nandish said that he was implicated in false cases, following his complaint against the minister. “My house was also set on fire,” he alleged. The hearing of the minister’s case is scheduled for October 12.

Another scandal

Nandish alleged that former MLA of Chamundeshwari constituency, M Satyanarayana, too had illegally acquired a site from Mysore Urban Development Authority in 1997.

“The illegally acquired site was sold to the wife of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah,” he claimed.
The site (No 5358), at Dattagalli, 3rd stage in Mysore, was meant for economically backward sections under ‘Asha Mandira’ scheme.

“The site was bought by Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi on December 11, 2008,” he contended.