Bengaluru: Hindutva activist Chaithra Kundapura, a key figure in a recent controversy, has been placed in 10 days of police custody following a court decision in Bengaluru. She was taken into custody on Tuesday in Udupi on charges of defrauding hospitality entrepreneur Govinda Babu Poojari of ₹5 crore by promising her a BJP ticket for the Byndoor Assembly constituency.

The arrest was conducted by the Bengaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB) police, who apprehended Chaithra at the Krishna Mutt parking area in Udupi. Simultaneously, five others linked to the case were apprehended in Chikkamagaluru.

During the transfer from a relief center to the CCB Division office, Chaithra made statements to the media, alluding to the potential involvement of influential figures if religious leaders were to be arrested. The initial complaint against Chaithra implicated Halashri Swami, a prominent religious leader from Hadagali in Ballari district, suggesting his communication with the Prime Minister's office. The complaint also alleged that Chaithra had escorted the complainant, Govinda Babu Poojary, to Hadagali for a meeting with the aforementioned pontiff.

While in the custody of the CCB police for the next 10 days, Chaithra Kundapura was relocated to a relief center in Bengaluru on Wednesday night. Law enforcement authorities are poised to conduct a thorough interrogation at the CCB Division office.

The FIR filed in the case lists Chaithra Kundapura as the primary accused, with a list of co-accused individuals, including Gagan Kadur, Abhinava Halasri Swamiji, Ramesh, Naik, Dhanraj, Srikanth, and Prasad Byndoor. They have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 406 (criminal breach of trust), Section 419 (cheating by personation), Section 420 (cheating), Section 170 (personating a public servant), Section 506 (criminal intimidation), and Section 120B (criminal conspiracy).

The case centers around Chaithra and her seven alleged accomplices, who are accused of receiving ₹5 crore from Mr. Poojari, a resident of Byndoor in Udupi district. Govinda Babu Poojari is known for his involvement in various enterprises, including Cheftalk Nutri Foods Pvt Limited, in addition to his hospitality and catering ventures in Bengaluru.

(Photos of Chaithra Kundapura used in this report were sourced from her Facebook page.)