ED Books Siddaramaiah In MUDA Money-laundering Case, Congress Says ‘Not Scared’

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday booked Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), news agency PTI reported citing official sources.

The federal agency has filed an enforcement case information report (ECIR) to book the chief minister and others, they said.

The ED has pressed sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to book Siddaramaiah in its ECIR, the equivalent of a police FIR. According to the procedure, the ED is empowered to summon the accused for questioning and even attach their assets during the investigation.

Congress Reacts

Karnataka Minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge hit out at BJP and said that the possible ED action is being executed according to the saffron party’s script.

“It is all as per BJP script. This is the SOP of BJP. They send CBI, ED and other central agencies in a bid to scare the opposition,” he told News18.

Kharge further said that Siddaramaiah and Congress is not scared of any investigation. “The High Court has dropped 2 sections against Siddaramaiah. The government has already set up an SIT to probe the matter. We are not scared of investigation,” he added.

Lokayukta Police Register FIR

Last week, Lokayukta police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Siddaramaiah, his wife BM Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjun Swamy, and one Devaraj, from whom Mallikarjuna Swamy purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi.

The FIR was lodged after a special court in Bengaluru ordered the Lokayukta police to probe against Siddaramaiah on accusations of irregularities in allotment of 14 sites worth ₹56 crore to the chief minister’s wife by the Mysuru development authority.

The special court, which handles criminal cases involving former and current MPs/MLAs, directed the Lokayukta police in Mysuru to initiate an investigation based on a complaint filed by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna.

The Lokayukta FIR has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) like 120B (criminal conspiracy), 166 (public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person), 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 426 (mischief), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 340 (wrongful confinement) and 351 (assault).

HC Setback to Karnataka CM

The order came after Karnataka high court upheld Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s sanction to investigate Siddaramaiah in the case.

Delivering the verdict, the single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna noted that the order of the Governor on August 17 approving the investigation and sanction for “prosecution of the Chief Minister in MUDA was not taken in haste”. The court further observed that the complainants were justified in registering the complaint and seeking approval from the Governor.

What is MUDA Case?

In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife in a prime area of Mysuru, which has a higher property value than the location of her land that was “acquired” by MUDA.

The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 scheme in exchange for 3.16 acres of her land, where it developed a residential layout.

Under this controversial scheme, MUDA allocated 50 per cent of the developed land to landowners in lieu of undeveloped land acquired for residential layouts. It is alleged that Parvathi did not have legal title over the 3.16 acres of land located at survey number 464 in Kasare village, Kasaba hobli of Mysuru taluk.

However, the Karnataka Chief Minister had rejected the allegations, claiming that the land deal was completed as per mandates and there were no irregularities. He had said that he was being targeted in the MUDA issue as the opposition is ”scared” of him and noted that it is the first such ”political case” against him.

(With inputs from agencies)