Bengaluru Police Arrest Union Min Pralhad Joshi's Brother Over Rs 2-Crore 'Fraud' Promising BJP Poll Ticket

Bengaluru police arrested Gopal Joshi, brother of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, for fraud and SC/ST Act violations following a complaint. Pralhad Joshi denied any connection to his brother.

Bengaluru police in Karnataka have arrested Gopal Joshi, the brother of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. The arrest follows a complaint filed by Sunita Chauhan, wife of former Janata Dal (Secular) MLA Devanand Chauhan, who accused him of fraud and violations of the SC/ST Act.

In her complaint, Sunita Chauhan alleged that Gopal Joshi had promised to secure a ticket for her husband in the elections after accepting Rs 2 crore. However, neither the ticket was provided nor was the money returned. Following the investigation, police proceeded to arrest Gopal Joshi.

'No Contact With Brother': Union Minister Pralhad Joshi

Upon the news of the FIR against Gopal Joshi, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi held a press conference, asserting that he has had no contact with his brother for over 30 years. He stated that he had filed an affidavit in court and issued a public notice declaring that any claims made by individuals purporting to be his brother, relative, or friend involved in financial dealings would not be binding on him.

Case Against Gopal Joshi

On 18 October, the Basaveshwaranagar police registered a case against Gopal Joshi and a woman named Vijayalakshmi Joshi. The complaint was lodged by Sunita Chauhan, who alleged that Gopal had assured the family that he would secure a BJP ticket for the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for May. According to the complaint, she began contacting Gopal at his residence in Hubli, North Karnataka, in March and subsequently handed over 25 lakh rupees to Vijayalakshmi at her home in Basaveshwaranagar, acting on Gopal's instructions.

The complainant also alleged that Vijayalakshmi was introduced as Pralhad Joshi's sister. However, the Union Minister clarified that he has no sister, stating that he has only four brothers, one of whom died in a road accident in 1984.

Meanwhile, Sunita Chavan, the complainant in Gopal Joshi's case, told the media, "There is no role of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi in this case. He (Gopal Joshi) is misusing his name", news agency ANI reported.