Pramesh S Jain
A self claimed journalist has been booked for allegedly cheating a 54-year-old woman from Mangaluru of Rs.1.5 crore by falsely promising to secure her a nomination to the Karnataka Legislative Council (MLC).
Based on the woman’s complaint,the Halasurgate Police have registered an FIR against Sirigere Yerriswamy and his associates Siddaraju and Basavaraju.
According to the complaint,Yerriswamy introduced himself as a journalist and claimed to be the Congress party’s media spokesperson.
He allegedly convinced the complainant that he had close links with former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and senior AICC leader Randeep Surjewala,and assured her that he could get her nominated to the Legislative Council through the ruling Congress.
The complainant,who is associated with a social trust, stated that she first met Yerriswamy at Vidhana Soudha in 2024.
He allegedly demanded Rs.5 crore for the MLC nomination,which was later negotiated to Rs.1.25 crore.
She alleged that,acting on Yerriswamy’s instructions,she handed over Rs.1 crore to Basavaraju and Siddaraju near Teachers’Bhavan on K.R.Road.
She also claimed to have paid another Rs.5 lakh to a woman near K.C.General Hospital in Malleswaram at his direction.
The woman further alleged that Yerriswamy took her to New Delhi on the pretext of arranging a meeting with senior AICC leaders,where he allegedly misbehaved with her at a hotel.
She later realised that the promise of an MLC nomination was false.When she demanded the return of her money,the accused allegedly threatened her with dire consequences.
The complainant also accused Yerriswamy of misusing photographs with prominent political leaders,including Siddaramaiah,former Prime Minister,H.D.Deve Gowda, and former Education Minister,Madhu Bangarappa,to falsely project his political influence.
She later discovered that he was,in fact,a government school teacher and not a journalist or Congress spokesperson, as he had claimed.
Police said the alleged cheating took place between 2024 and 2025,and the investigation is underway.
Notices will be issued to the accused for questioning.
Initially,the Halasurgate Police had registered only a Non-Cognisable Report (NCR) on the complaint.
The complainant subsequently approached the court, which directed the police to register an FIR, investigate the allegations,and submit a report by August 25.
Following the court’s order,the police have now registered the case and intensified the investigation.
