In a significant development in Bengaluru, Gopal Joshi, the brother of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, has been arrested in connection with a cheating case.
The arrest, confirmed by the Basaveshwara Nagar Police, comes after a complaint was filed by Sunita Chavan, the wife of former Nagthana MLA Devavand Phool Singh Chavan. Sunita claimed that Gopal Joshi, along with his wife Vijayalakshmi Joshi, had deceived her family regarding a political ticket.
Reports indicate that Gopal Joshi was accused of promising Sunita Chavan’s family a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
As part of this arrangement, Sunita alleged that she delivered a substantial sum of ₹25 lakh at the home of Vijayalakshmi Joshi, whom Gopal introduced as Pralhad Joshi's sister. However, Minister Pralhad Joshi denied having a sister, stating that he has had no connection with Gopal for over three decades.
Following the initial promise regarding the election ticket, when Sunita did not receive the expected outcome, she reached out to Gopal once more. Allegedly, he assured her that he would return the money after securing a ₹200 crore project. She claimed to have paid him an additional ₹1.75 crore, expecting reimbursement within 20 days, but that payment never materialised.
To further distance himself from Gopal Joshi, Pralhad Joshi has filed an affidavit in Original Suit Number 8477/2023, stating that he has been separated from Gopal for more than 20 years.
In this legal document, he emphasised that there are no joint family or financial ties between them. He also expressed his confusion regarding reports claiming he has a sister, firmly stating that such claims are unfounded.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda revealed that approximately ₹2 crore was allegedly given to Gopal Joshi in instalments, which is currently under investigation. The police are scrutinising these financial transactions to gather more details about the allegations against him.
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