Ganesh Kendale
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday filed a money-laundering case against Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, linked to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). The ED’s action comes in response to a state Lokayukta FIR, registered last week, that accuses the CM and others of irregularities in the allotment of land by the authority.
Siddaramaiah’s wife BM Parvathi, his brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, and Devaraju, the individual from whom Swamy purchased land before gifting it to Parvathi, are also named in the FIR.The case, filed by the Lokayukta police on September 27, was ordered by a Bengaluru special court. The court’s decision came a day after the Karnataka High Court upheld Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s sanction to investigate Siddaramaiah over the allegations.
The ED has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), similar to a police FIR, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This allows the agency to summon the accused for questioning and potentially seize their assets during the investigation.
Siddaramaiah, 76, has denied any wrongdoing. Last week, he said the case was politically motivated, alleging that the opposition was “scared” of him. He emphasized, “This is the first such political case against me,” adding that he has no intention of resigning and plans to fight the case legally.
The controversy revolves around accusations that compensatory plots were allocated to Siddaramaiah’s wife in an upscale Mysuru area. The property is allegedly more valuable than the land MUDA originally acquired from her.
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).
