ED books Siddaramaiah, others in MUDA land scam case
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday booked Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and some others in a money-laundering case linked to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), taking cognizance of a recent state Lokayukta FIR, news agency PTI reported. The FIR, filed by Lokayukta police last week, names Siddaramaiah, his wife BM Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, and Devaraju, from whom Swamy reportedly purchased land and later gifted it to the Chief Minister's wife.
ED to file enforcement case information report
As per the PTI report, the ED is likely to invoke sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to file an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah. Under the procedure, the ED has the authority to summon the accused for questioning and can also attach their assets during the course of the investigation, if deemed necessary. The case is part of the ongoing probe into the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam.
FIR filed against Siddaramaiah, wife
On September 27, an FIR was registered against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and his wife by the Mysore Lokayukta Superintendent of Police (SP) over a land allotment scam involving the MUDA. The legal action follows a court directive for a Lokayukta investigation into allegations that 14 plots were improperly allocated to Parvathi. The court has instructed the Lokayukta to complete its inquiry and submit a detailed report within three months.
Details of the FIR and accused parties
In the FIR, Siddaramaiah is listed as Accused No. 1 (A1), his wife Parvathi as Accused No. 2 (A2), and her brother Mallikarjuna as Accused No. 3 (A3). The document also names Devaraju, who allegedly sold the disputed land, as Accused No. 4 (A4). The case centers around allegations that Siddaramaiah misused his position to illegally acquire these plots for his family members.
Siddaramaiah's response to allegations
Amid the allegations, Siddaramaiah has said he is innocent. He has said, "I will not resign. I will fight legally. I have done no wrong, there is no need for me to resign." He also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (Secular) of misusing Raj Bhavan to launch false allegations aimed at destabilizing his government amidst the investigation into the alleged MUDA land scam.
