ED files money laundering case against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah in land scam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a money laundering case against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam.

The case stems from an FIR recently lodged by the state Lokayukta police.

Taking note of the Lokayukta's First Information Report (FIR), the ED has registered an enforcement case information report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This report names Siddaramaiah, his wife BM Parvathi, his brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, and Devaraju, who sold the land to Swamy, which was later gifted to Parvathi.

The Lokayukta FIR, filed on September 27, follows a Bengaluru special court's directive ordering an investigation into the case. The order was issued after the Karnataka High Court upheld a sanction by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, permitting a probe into allegations of irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to Siddaramaiah’s wife by the MUDA.

As per protocol, the ED may summon the individuals involved for questioning and could seize assets if necessary during the investigation.

Siddaramaiah, 76, has maintained his innocence, attributing the case to political motivations, claiming that the opposition is "scared" of him. He has labeled the MUDA case as his first "political case" and asserted that he will not resign despite the ongoing investigation, vowing to challenge the allegations in court.

The case centers on accusations that MUDA allotted compensatory sites to Siddaramaiah’s wife in a more valuable area of Mysuru in exchange for land previously "acquired" by the authority.