Daijiworld Media Network – Bellary (SP)

Bellary, Apr 15: BSR Congress Mysore district unit president, L Somanna, on the night of Sunday April 13, filed a police complaint in the rural station here, against BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Bellary constituency, B Sriramulu.

Somanna said that a cheque issued to him by Sriramulu towards clearance of funds lent to the latter, had been returned by the bank for want of funds. He also has accused Sriramulu of assaulting him and posing death threats when he approached the BJP leader, seeking an explanation for the bounced cheque.

Somanna had fought from H D Kote assembly constituency, Mysore, as a BSR Congress candidate in 2013, but had tasted defeat. He says that after this defeat, Sriramulu had promised to make him an MLC. ‘Based on this promise, I lent him Rs 75 lac in November 2013 and another Rs 75 lac in December. ‘He came up with another promise of securing BJP ticket for me from Raichur Lok sabha constituency in place of MLC, and took an additional sum of Rs 1,45,70,000 from me on March 17 this year. He had raised a total sum of Rs 2,96,70,000 from me as loan. In clearance of this debt, he had issued a cheque on ING Vysya Bank’s Halsur, Bangalore branch on March 20 this year. After this cheque was presented in clearing, it was returned for want of funds. When I approached Sriramulu on Sunday evening seeking repayment of my loan, he assaulted me and posed death threat. I will not rest, and continue to fight till I get my money back,’ he said.

Somanna also said that he was worried when the BJP issued ticket to someone else from Raichur, and Sriramulu failed to provide satisfactory explanation.  He claimed that Sriramulu then had promised of returning the money, after he gets money from BJP general secretary, Anant Kumar, who reportedly owes money to Sriramulu.

Policemen of Bellary rural station said that they have registered complaint under Indian Penal Code sections 323, 504, 506, and 420 against BJP candidate, B Sriramulu.

When contacted, Sriramulu said that he does not know Somanna, who has filed fraud and assault case against him. ‘I know he had fought from H D Kote seat. My cheque had been lost several days back, and I had requested bank to stop payment thereof. My financial condition is not so bad as to raise loans from someone else,’ he clarified, duly accusing Congress and JDS of hatching this ploy out of frustration of getting defeated. Karnataka Milk Federation state president, G Somashekhara Reddy said that police sources have told him that the case against Sriramulu had been registered at the instance of chief minister, Siddaramaiah. Bellary superintendent of police, Dr Chetan Singh Rathore,  refused to comment, adding that legal procedures will be followed relating to the case.