In a latest development amid the ongoing controversy over the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday booked Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife BM Parvathi, and some others taking cognisance of a recent state Lokayukta FIR.
Earlier, the 76-year-old politician asserted that he was being targeted in the MUDA issue as the opposition was "scared" of him and reiterated that he would not resign following the court ordering a probe against him in the case as he has done no wrong.
Siddaramaiah's wife to return land sites
Following Monday's development, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife BM Parvathi penned a letter to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) Commissioner expressing her willingness to return the 14 sites in the Mysuru upmarket.
"My husband, Siddaramaiah, the Chief Minister of the state, has upheld a strict code of ethics throughout his 40-year political career, remaining entirely free from any kind of blemish. I have lived my life committed to ensuring that nothing in my public or political life would cause him any embarrassment,” she wrote in a letter.
"Aggrieved by the political conspiracy going on against me, my wife has taken a decision to return the 14 plots given by Muda, which has also surprised me. My wife, who never intervened in my four decades-long politics and was confined to her family, is a victim of the politics of hate against me and is suffering psychological torture. I am sorry. However, I respect my wife's decision to return the plots", the Karnataka CM posted on X responding to his wife's decision of returning the plots.
ED books Siddaramaiah under PMLA: Key points
The central probe agency has pressed sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to book Siddaramaiah in its enforcement case information report (ECIR), the equivalent of a police FIR.
The ED is empowered to summon the accused for questioning and even attach their assets during the investigation.
The FIR registered by the Mysuru-located Lokayukta police establishment on September 27 included the names of Siddaramaiah, his wife B M Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and Devaraju, from whom Swamy had purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi, and others.
Following a special court's order in Bengaluru directing Lokayukta police to probe against Siddaramaiah, the FIR was lodged. The order of the special court came after Karnataka high court upheld the sanction granted by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot for a probe against the senior Congress leader.
In a separate development, Snehamayi Krishna, one of the complainants against the CM in the MUDA case, lodged a fresh complaint with the ED in Bengaluru alleging that the allotment of 14 sites to Siddaramaiah’s wife by the MUDA is derived from "criminal activity".
Such offences relate to "scheduled offences" under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and the allotment of sites constitutes "proceeds of crime" under the PMLA, Krishna claimed.
What is the MUDA scam?
The Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site-allotment case revolves around the allegation that compensatory sites were given to Siddaramaiah's wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land that was "acquired" by MUDA.
For the first time, the irregularity was flagged by the complainant Snehamayi Krishna who highlighted several allegations against the CM and his family. According to the complainant, MUDA created fake documents and obtained plots worth crores of rupees.
A Lokayukta FIR has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 120B (criminal conspiracy), 166 (public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person), 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).
'Instrument of harassment': Congress reacts
Slamming the BJP-led central government over the ED action, Congress general secretary-in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "It is no secret that the ED has become an instrument of harassment, vendetta, revenge, and vengeance on his political opponents by the non-biological PM."
"The people of Karnataka rejected him resoundingly in May 2023 and He has not forgotten that humiliation. The Congress believes that He and His ED will stand thoroughly exposed soon. We have nothing whatsoever to fear. The CM of Karnataka will be vindicated (sic)," Ramesh said on X.
'Admission of guilt': BJP's remark on Parvathi's letter
Terming Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi's letter to the MUDA Commissioner as an "admission of guilt", the BJP on Tuesday demanded the Karnataka chief minister's resignation.
"This letter is an admission of guilt. Instead of sending his (Siddaramaiah) resignation letter, a redemption letter is being written," BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said.
"If no wrong was committed, why are you returning (the sites)? That too when the orders of the High Court and special court came, an FIR was registered and ED case also started," Poonawalla asked.
