Karnataka governor seeks probe into graft charges against agriculture minister

The letter comes after seven officers from the Agriculture department wrote a letter to the governor’s office, accusing the minister of demanding a bribe of ₹6 to ₹8 lakh. In the purported letter, which the minister called fake, officials have said that they would resort to extreme measures, like consuming poison, if no action was taken against the minister.

The letter was allegedly written by a group of agricultural department officials in Mandya district, which is the minister’s home district. The governor, in response to the letters received, instructed the chief secretary of Karnataka, Vandita Sharma, to investigate the matter thoroughly and take appropriate action.

The governor’s letter said that the allegations involve multiple officials from different taluks of Mandya district, accusing the minister of seeking bribes. The governor’s secretariat attached copies of the allegations to their letter for reference.