ED Conducts Fresh Raids in MUDA Scam Involving Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: The Enforcement Directorate conducted fresh raids on Monday as part of its investigation into the money laundering case linked to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), which involves Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, said official sources. The probe agency is targeting approximately seven to eight locations in Bengaluru and Mysuru.

This fresh rounds of raids comes days after a raid was carried out on October 18, during which the ED searched the MUDA office in Mysuru and several other sites. It also questioned some lower-rank officials of the MUDA at its Bengaluru zonal office last week.

The ED has filed an enforcement case information report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to book the CM and others taking cognisance of a Lokayukta FIR.

Siddaramaiah is facing Lokayukta and ED probes into alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the MUDA.

Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi B M, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, Devaraju -- from whom Mallikarjuna Swamy purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi -- and others are named as other accused in the case by the two probe agencies.

Parvathi was recently questioned by the Lokayukta.

In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by the MUDA.

The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where it developed a residential layout.

Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts.

It is alleged Parvathi had no legal title over this 3.16 acres of land at survey number 464 of Kasare village, Kasaba hobli of Mysuru taluk