Chaitra Kundapura: The alleged orchestrator of the Rs 5 Cr BJP ticket scam

Team Udayavani, Sep 14, 2023, 9:00 AM IST

A sensational case has emerged in which a businessman was allegedly conned out of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket for the Byndoor Assembly Constituency in exchange for a staggering sum of Rs 5 crore. The incident has sent shockwaves through the political landscape of Karnataka and has resulted in the arrest of several individuals, including Hindu activist Chaitra Kundapura and five others.

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) in Bengaluru made the arrests on charges of cheating in connection with a highly elaborate scheme. The group is accused of creating a fictitious character and deceiving the victim into believing that this person had tragically passed away. To accomplish this, they went to great lengths, including using various disguises and personas. The entire team is currently in police custody following a formal complaint filed by the duped businessman.

The primary suspect, Chaitra Kundapur (28), was apprehended on Tuesday night. Other suspects, namely Gagan Kaduru (30), Ramesh (35), Dhanraj (35), Prajwal (35), and Srikanth (40) from Chikmagalur, were arrested earlier in connection with the case. However, three individuals,  Prasad Byndoor, Abhinava Halashree Swamiji of Sansthan Math Hire Hadagali of Hospet, and Channa Nayka are currently on the run, with efforts underway to locate and apprehend them.

The alleged victim of this elaborate ruse is businessman Govinda Babu Pujari, a resident of Bangalore’s Haralur, who had aspirations of securing a BJP ticket for the Byndoor Assembly Constituency.

According to reports, Gagan Kaduru, who was the General Secretary of the BJP Yuva Morcha in Chikkamagaluru District, played a central role in this fraudulent scheme. As a result of his involvement, he has been dismissed from his post. The other arrested individuals, Ramesh, Dhanraj, Prajwal, and Srikanth, held various minor roles in Chikkamagalur.

The victim, Govinda Babu Pujari, was introduced to Chaitra through mutual acquaintances, ultimately connecting him with Gagan Kadur.

A crucial aspect of this intricate plot involved the creation of a character named Vishwanath Ji, who was portrayed as a senior RSS propagandist. It is alleged that on July 4, 2022, Vishwanath Ji introduced himself and claimed that he could secure a BJP ticket in exchange for a substantial sum. The victim reportedly paid Vishwanath Ji Rs 50 lakh as an initial installment in front of the RSS office in Shivamogga.

The story took another twist when Gagan informed the victim that Vishwanath Ji had tragically passed away in Kashmir. Suspicion arose when the victim contacted a friend in Kashmir, a retired army officer, named Yogesh, who inquired with the RSS and discovered that there was no record of anyone named Vishwanath Ji. Subsequently, the victim requested Gagan and Chaitra to return the money, but they claimed that it was still with Vishwanath Ji.

The plot thickened as it was revealed that fake characters had been created to perpetrate the fraud. It was discovered that Ramesh and Dhanraj had impersonated RSS workers, receiving payments of Rs 1.20 lakh and Rs 2.50 lakh, respectively. Channa Nayka, introduced as a member of the Central Election Committee, was later identified as a chicken kebab vendor in KR Puram, Bengaluru.

The entire scheme was allegedly hatched at Gagan’s residence in Chikkamagaluru.

In a shocking revelation, it was disclosed that the victim had been threatened with dire consequences if he sought to recover the money. He was allegedly told that he would face imprisonment or even execution by underworld criminals if he pursued the matter further.

In light of these grave allegations, the victim filed a complaint against all the individuals involved, including Chaitra Kundapura, Halashree Swamiji, and Gagan Kadur. The Commissioner of Police has taken the case seriously, and it has been assigned to the CCB for further investigation. A team led by DCP Srinivasa Gowda of CCB conducted an operation that led to the arrests of the accused, who are now in CCB custody for 10 days.

Chaitra Kundapur has reportedly admitted to paying Rs 10 lakh to Ramesh and Dhanraj, the actors behind the fictitious Vishwanath Ji and other characters. She claimed that they had acted according to her instructions, believing that it would ultimately benefit their cause.