Karnataka HC quashes electoral bonds case against former state BJP chief Kateel

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday quashed a criminal case registered against former state BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel for allegedly extorting money and pressuring business entities to buy electoral bonds.

Justice M Nagaprasanna passed the order while allowing the petition filed by Kateel.

The FIR was registered by the Bengaluru police based on a complaint lodged by Adarsh R Iyer, a city-based activist.

The FIR was also registered against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the officials of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), office bearers of the BJP and others.

“The court has quashed the FIR against petitioner Kateel. We have filed a petition on behalf of Kateel,” senior advocate K G Raghavan said, and added that Nirmala Sitharaman was not a petitioner.