The Karnataka Police on Monday booked Union minister HD Kumaraswamy for allegedly threatening a police officer investigating a mining case in which the Janata Dal (Secular) leader has been implicated, PTI reported.

A case was filed on Monday after Inspector General of Police M Chandra Sekhar alleged that Kumaraswamy threatened a government official and obstructed him from discharging his duties.

The complainant said he was heading the Special Investigation Team probing the mining case, in which Kumaraswamy is alleged to have illegally approved a 550-acre mining lease to Sri Sai Venkateswara Minerals in Karnataka’s Bellary district when he was the chief minister between 2006 and 2008.

“The SIT, after preparing the investigation report and having found substantial evidence and material to prosecute the accused [Kumaraswamy], had written to the Governor of Karnataka seeking sanction for prosecution against the accused HD Kumaraswamy on November 21, 2023,” Sekhar said in his complaint lodged at Sanjay Nagar police station.

On Tuesday, Kumaraswamy termed the fresh case against him “ridiculous and malicious”, reported ANI.

The Janata Dal (Secular) is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party, while Karnataka is ruled by the Congress, their political rival.

In August, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that his government would not hesitate to arrest Kumaraswamy in the illegal mining lease case.

Siddaramaiah made the comments after Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot sanctioned the Congress leader’s prosecution in an alleged land scam case.

“The governor is playing delaying tactics in Kumaraswamy’s case,” the Congress leader had said. “But in my case, he immediately gave consent for prosecution without an inquiry report. Isn’t it discrimination?”

The governor’s sanction is necessary to pursue a private complaint against a chief minister in corruption cases.

The same day, the Special Investigation Team of the Lokayukta, the state-level anti-corruption ombudsman, sought Gehlot’s permission to proceed against Kumaraswamy.

Kumaraswamy, on his part, has alleged that the Congress is merely trying to settle political scores by raking up the alleged mining scam.

“The allegation is that when I was chief minister in 2007, I favoured Sai Venkateshwara and collected Rs 150 crore from the mining owners,” he said. “The fact is I have not made the allotment to the company. Till now, there has been no mining in the area as the central government has not given them permission.”

The Janata Dal (Secular) leader claimed that there had been no loss to the state exchequer in the matter.