New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday filed a money-laundering case against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with alleged irregularities in land allotments by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). The case stems from a state Lokayukta FIR registered last week, which accused Siddaramaiah, along with his wife BM Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, and a man named Devaraju, of being involved in the scandal. The FIR was filed after a special court in Bengaluru authorized an investigation, following the Karnataka High Court’s decision to uphold Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s sanction for the probe.
The ED’s Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), gives the agency power to summon the accused for questioning and freeze their assets if needed. The allegations revolve around the compensation for a valuable plot in an upscale area of Mysuru, allegedly awarded to Siddaramaiah’s wife, in exchange for land originally acquired by MUDA.
Siddaramaiah, 76, has strongly denied the accusations, asserting that the case is politically motivated. He claims that his opponents are “scared” of him and stressed that this is his first political case, which he intends to fight legally. The case has invoked sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including criminal conspiracy, misappropriation of property, cheating, and forgery.
The investigation into the land allotment scandal is ongoing, with further developments expected as the ED proceeds with its inquiry.
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