Ex-Karnataka minister Nagendra convicted in cheque bounce case, fined Rs 1.25 crore

The 42nd Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, K N Shivakumar, has ordered Nagendra and two others to pay the fine amount, failing which they will face a one-year jail term.

Bengaluru: In fresh trouble for former minister and current Bellary Rural MLA B Nagendra, a Bengaluru court convicted him and another person in a cheque bounce case on Wednesday. 

K N Shivakumar, the judge for the special court for cases involving MPs/MLAs, ordered Nagendra and Rajashekhar Chunduru Bhaskar to pay a fine of Rs 1.25 crore. 

The complaint was filed by the representative of VSL Steels Ltd under the Negotiable Instruments (NI) Act over a business dispute with BC Infrastructure and Resource Company, represented by Bhaskar and Nagendra. The complaint was filed against BC Infrastructure and Resource Company (accused number 1) and two of its representatives. 

"Acting under Section 255(2) of CrPC, the accused No 1 to 3 are hereby held guilty of the offence punishable under Section 138 of NI Act and convicted and sentenced to fine of Rs 1,25,00,000. In default of payment of fine, the accused shall undergo simple imprisonment for one year. Acting under Section 371(1)(b) of CrPC, it is hereby directed to pay Rs 1,24,90,000 to the complainant towards the compensation and the remaining fine amount of Rs 10,000 shall be paid to the state," the order said. 

In July 2024, Nagendra was arrested in connection with the Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited case. In October 2024, a special court for MPs/MLAs granted him bail in the case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Valmiki Corporation case.