2010-07-20 23:30:00 

Karnataka Tourism Minister G. Janardhana Reddy Tuesday targeted former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, accusing him of money laundering and fraudulent transactions.

'Within a month after becoming chief minister in February 2006, Kumaraswamy deposited a whopping Rs.36 crore in the joint bank account of BSK Trading, a firm owned by his brothers H.D. Balakrishna and H.D. Ramesh, violating banking rules and regulations,' Reddy told reporters, releasing a set of documents pertaining to the transactions.

A day after he named a few Congress leaders from his home district of Bellary being involved in illegal mining, Reddy said between March-June, 2006, the deposited money was withdrawn on various dates as evident from the entries in the account passbook.

'This amount was part of the Rs.150-crore graft Kumaraswamy collected from mining barons of Bellary district, which I have already exposed when he was the chief minister,' Reddy recalled.

'Since Kumaraswamy claimed that he was not interested in the mining business, from where has he got Rs.36 crore and why did he deposit it in his brothers' joint account by cash?' Reddy asked waving the documents.

Reddy also wondered how the bank (Karnataka Bank) at Minerva Circle in Bangalore accepted such large deposits and allowed it to be withdrawn in cash subsequently.

'I have already submitted the documents relating to the bribery case to the Supreme Court, which is hearing our case. I cannot reveal more at this juncture,' Reddy said and claimed that he had video clippings to prove that Kumaraswamy had accepted the bribe from Bellary miners as protection money.

Reddy also declared that he would submit all documents pertaining to illegal mining to the state Lokayukta (ombudsman) soon.

'Kumaraswamy wanted to silence me when he was chief minister as I accused him of receiving protection money from miners. Now the truth will come out. I am as pure as gold but Kumaraswamy is black gold,' Reddy said.