The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a money laundering case against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam. The central agency acted on a recent FIR lodged by the state Lokayukta against Siddaramaiah, his wife BM Parvathi, and his brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy. The FIR, registered on September 27 by Mysuru-based Lokayukta police, also includes Devaraju, who sold land to Swamy, which was later gifted to Parvathi.
The FIR was initiated after a special court in Bengaluru ordered an investigation into allegations of irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to Parvathi by MUDA. The court’s directive followed the Karnataka High Court’s decision to uphold the Governor’s sanction to investigate Siddaramaiah. The ED has invoked sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), which is equivalent to an FIR. As part of the investigation, the ED has the authority to summon the accused and seize assets if necessary.
In the MUDA land allotment case, Siddaramaiah is accused of facilitating the allocation of compensatory sites to his wife in a premium area of Mysuru, which holds a significantly higher market value compared to her previously held land that was acquired by MUDA.
The Lokayukta FIR lists several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 120B (criminal conspiracy), 166 (public servant disobeying the law with intent to cause injury), 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing property delivery), 426 (mischief), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for cheating), 340 (wrongful confinement), and 351 (assault). The investigation into the alleged land scam continues.
