High Court Permits ED To Continue Probe Into MUDA, After Clean Chit By Lokayukta
Karnataka: After Enforcement Directorate (ED) challenged the Karnataka Lokayukta’s recent closure report in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) money laundering case against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife, BM Parvathi, and others, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday permitted the ED to continue the investigation into the allegations.
The ED argued that the evidence collected during its probe revealed serious illegalities in land acquisition and land allotment. However, the high court made the order based on an application filed by the ED that sought to stay a single judge’s order quashing the summons issued to Natesh, a former MUDA Commissioner during whose tenure alleged illegal allotment of land was occurred.
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The court ordered that the ED will have the freedom to utilise all the documents and materials which may have been gathered, recovered or seized at the place of the petitioner.
The central probe agency will also have the right to utilise the statement of the petitioner for the purpose of the rest of the investigation in accordance with the law. The court further noted that the ED is entitled to proceed and carry on the investigation against the other accused in accordance with the law. While he was MUDA commissioner, Natesh allegedly allotted plots in an upmarket area to Siddaamaiah’s wife at the ratio of 50:50 from MUDA.
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It is alleged that the irregularities in plot allotment caused huge loss worth crores to the state exchequer, and apart from the chief minister and his family, top officials in the MUDA and revenue department were also named in the case.
However, the chief minister has denied the charges as “politically motivated” and said his wife was awarded compensation when the BJP was in power and that it was her right. “They (BJP) are the ones who gave the site, now if they call it illegal, how should one respond?” Siddaramaiah said.
