Gopal Joshi and his son arrested in cheating case

The complainant has stated that Union Minister Pralhad Joshi had no role in the case; Pralhad Joshi has said that he had no links with his brother for over three decades

Stepping up investigations into the cheating case against Gopal Joshi, brother of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, the Basaveshwaranagar police in Bengaluru tracked him and his son, Ajay Joshi, down to Kolhapur in Maharashtra and arrested them.

Ajay Joshi is also an accused in the case. The father and son had taken shelter in the city in Maharashtra after an FIR was registered against them.

The duo, along with two others, had allegedly cheated a former MLA by promising him ticket in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

‘No role of Minister’

Meanwhile, Sunita Chavan, who is the complainant in the case, stated that Mr. Pralhad Joshi had no role in the case. It may be recalled that Mr. Pralhad Joshi held a press conference in Delhi on Friday to state that he had no contact with his brother for over three decades.

Speaking to presspersons at Keshwapur police station in Hubballi on Saturday, where she gave her statement to the Bengaluru police, Ms. Chavan said Gopal Joshi had called and told them that they had a chance of getting BJP ticket and that he would help them in this regard.

Case background

The Bengaluru police, after registering the FIR, had arrested one Somashekar Nayak, who had allegedly mediated the deal, and a woman who received the amount posing as the sister of Gopal Joshi. However, Gopal Joshi and his son managed to flee but were eventually tracked down.

The duo was produced before the local court in Kohlapur and moved to Bengaluru. Probe revealed that Somashekar Nayak conspired with the rest, and Vijaya Kumari, posed as Prahlad Joshi’s sister using the name Vijayalakshmi Joshi.

The four were named in the FIR registered on October 17 based on a complaint by Ms. Chavan, who is the wife of former Nagthan JD(S) MLA Devanand Phool Singh Chavan.

The case was registered under BNNS sections, including cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy. Sections of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were also invoked.

Published - October 19, 2024 09:57 pm IST