Rs 28,000-cr power scam: Ready for narco test, says Shobha

Udupi, Oct 28: Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP and BJP state general secretary Shobha Karandlaje on Saturday denied any involvement in the reported power purchase scam during BJP’s rule in Karnataka.

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Shobha said she is ready for a narco-analysis test, if required, to prove her innocence. 

A House committee headed by Energy Minister D K Shivakumar is readying a report, which purportedly has details about the scam that cost the state exchequer Rs 28,000 crore.

DKS-HDK meet

On Friday, Shivakumar held an hour-long meeting with JD(S) State president H.D. Kumaraswamy at his JP Nagar residence which led to speculation that the government was set to speed up probe into the scam.

The committee is probing into a complaint from Kumaraswamy about purchase of power to the tune of ₹28,000 core, allegedly violating norms. Shivakumar has convened a meeting of the committee on October 30, and had appealed to Kumaraswamy to attend the meeting to provide further details to substantiate his charge. 

Kumaraswamy had resigned from the committee, but his resignation was not accepted. Shivakumar had also said that the committee representatives would visit Kumaraswamy in his residence if he could not attend the meeting.

Kumaraswamy said the Energy Minister visited him to show him the draft of the committee report, which probed into the alleged power purchase scam.

“Shivakumar showed me draft of the report prepared by officials and invited to participate in the October 30th meeting,” Kumaraswamy said, adding that “no political issues were discussed”.