CM Kumaraswamy, six ministers face criminal cases

Bengaluru: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, including seven ministers face criminal charges on different cases, said two election watchdogs in a report here on Friday.

The other six ministers include Venkatrao Nadagouda, B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan, D.K. Shivakumar, D.C. Thammanna, N. Mahesh and Ramesh L. Jarkiholi.

The report by the Karnataka Election Watch and Delhi-based Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) was based only analysis of the poll affidavits belonging to 26 of 27 cabinet ministers, save Women and Child Development Minister Jayamala, the lone woman minister, whose affidavit was not available, ADR said.

It has been reported that seven out of the 26 ministers including Kumaraswamy have declared criminal cases against them, while four ministers, including him, face serious criminal charges.

Kumaraswamy faces several criminal charges, including forgery for the purpose of cheating, causing disappearance of evidence and other charges relating to criminal breach of trust.

Twenty five of the 26 ministers are crorepatis, as per the asset declarations in their poll affidavits, with Shivakumar being the richest with total assets worth Rs 840 crore.