How a Cong MP’s aide allegedly used hologram machine to convert black money to new notes

On Monday morning, Congress leader and MLA DK Shivakumar called a press conference and dramatically declared that the centre was using the CBI to target him for being the one who herded Congress and JD(S) MLAs during the recent political crisis.

A few hours later, there were raids at five places including the residence of Padmanabiah, the personal assistant of Congress Member of Parliament, DK Suresh, who is also DK Shivakumar's brother.

Though DK Shivakumar alleged that he would be targeted, the raids were related to a case that was first registered in April 2017. The case implicated DK Suresh’s PA along with certain bank officials as the accused.  

According to the CBI, DK Suresh allegedly enlisted the help of his personal assistant Padmanabaiah to exchange Rs 10 lakh of unaccounted black money during the initial phases of demonetisation.

On November 8 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that 500 and 1000 rupees notes would be rendered ineffective, until new 500 and 2000 rupees were to be circulated in their place. In the initial weeks, each individual was allowed to exchange up to 4000 rupees at the bank, which was increased to 4500 rupees, and then again reduced to 2000 rupees per person. International airports allowed for an amount of up to 5000 rupees to be exchanged during this time period for those traveling to and from the country.

According to the CBI, Padmanabhaiah had exchanged the unaccounted notes using photocopies of about 120 voters IDs and driving licences without the knowledge of their owners. But this was done in connivance with bank and district officials, says the CBI.

Officials from the CBI alleged that the 120 copies of voter IDs were “fraudulently” printed without the knowledge of the voters on November 10 and 11, 2016 using holograms machines or projectors. The fake ids were procured by misusing the login ID of the Tahsildar and facsimile stamp of the ERO at the Election Cell office of Tahsildar of Kanakpura.

In addition to Padmanabaiah, Corporation Bank Manager B Prakash, Later Election Cell-In-charge Shivananda and Election Cell clerk Nanjappa were also listed as the accused.

The residences of the accused and the Election Cell of Kanakapura Tahsildar office and the Ramanagara District office on Thursday

The copies of these voter IDs were allegedly handed over by Padmanabhaiah to Prakash to cover up the unauthorised exchange. “During the searches [duplicate] voter ID cards used for illegal exchange of SBNs (specified bank notes) were collected along with the hologram stock register. The suspected hard disk is imaged and seized,” the Superintendent of Police, CBI ACB, Bengaluru said in a statement on Thursday.

The CBI also concluded that Shivananda and Nanjappa misused their official positions for the said process. The CBI further stated that Prakash prepared fabricated requisition slips based on the photocopied voter ID cards submitted by Suresh’s PA.

DK Shivakumar earlier alleged that the CBI was working at the behest of the BJP to carry out the raids.