The Basaveshwaranagar police have filed a case against Gopal Joshi, brother of Union Minister Prahlad Joshi, and two others for allegedly engaging in cheating, assault, and verbal abuse. Alongside Gopal, his sister Vijayalakshmi Joshi and son Ajay Joshi were also implicated on October 17. The case centers around a complaint by Sunitha Chauhan, whose husband, former JD(S) MLA Devanand Phool Singh Chauhan, was promised a ticket for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in exchange for ₹5 crore. In March, Sunitha and her husband met Gopal in Hubballi and were allegedly assured of the ticket due to Prahlad’s influence. Despite rejecting the offer, Gopal persisted, leading Sunitha to eventually provide ₹25 lakh. The money was handed to Vijayalakshmi, and a ₹5 crore cheque was taken as security.
After failing to receive the ticket, Sunitha confronted Gopal, who promised to repay but, instead, asked for an additional ₹1.75 crore to secure a project bill. Despite transferring the money to Vijayalakshmi’s account, Sunitha did not receive repayment. In August, when Sunitha sought answers, she was allegedly assaulted and received caste-based derogatory remarks from Vijayalakshmi. She also reported being threatened by goons. Consequently, the police have charged Gopal, Vijayalakshmi, and Ajay with cheating, criminal breach of trust, and conspiracy, including violations under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Original Story https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/union-minister-prahlad-joshis-kin-booked/article68766354.ece
Category : Bengaluru
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