Massive Impact of Republic Expose, Siddaramaiah's Wife Writes To Return All 14 MUDA Lands

After the sensational expose by the Republic Media Network in the alleged MUDA scam prompting the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to book Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife on Monday offered to surrender all the 14 plots to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). Siddaramaiah's wife, Parvathi, in her letter to MUDA, expressed her wish to surrender all the compensatory land sites allotted to her by the authority. The Karnataka CM's wife's letter offering to return the land plots comes hours after the ED booked her husband Siddaramaiah in the money-laundering case.

Notably, Parvathi is one of the accused in a money laundering case linked to the alleged MUDA scam. Her letter reads, "Further, I wish to surrender and return the compensation plots by cancelling the deeds of 14 plots executed in my favour by the Mysore Urban Development Authority. I am also handing over the possession of the plots back to the Mysore Urban Development Authority. Kindly take necessary steps in this regard as soon as possible."

“Returning 14 sites and giving the possession to Authority, kindly do the needful at the earliest. I don’t want any wealth, sites, or land for me. The dignity and honour of my husband, and family are far more important to me than any wealth. I have not discussed this with my husband, son or any family member,” she wrote in a letter.

ED Registers FIR Against Siddaramaiah

Earlier in the day, the ED filed a case naming Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and others. The federal agency has pressed sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to book Siddaramaiah in its ECIR, which is the equivalent of a police FIR.

Last week, the Lokayukta police registered an FIR against Siddaramaiah, Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjun Swamy, and one Devaraj, from whom Mallikarjuna Swamy purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi.

The FIR was lodged after a special court in Bengaluru ordered the Lokayukta police to probe against Siddaramaiah on accusations of irregularities in allotment of 14 sites worth Rs 56 crore to the chief minister’s wife by the Mysuru development authority.

What Is MUDA Scam?

The Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) is among Karnataka’s first urban planning and development bodies. However, in the last few weeks, it has faced intense public scrutiny over allegations of irregularities in compensatory allotment of residential sites to land losers.

The uproar gained political steam when it was alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi, was allotted 14 sites in an affluent residential layout in lieu of her land acquired by MUDA.

In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife in a prime area of Mysuru, which has a higher property value than the location of her land that was “acquired” by MUDA.

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

Under this controversial scheme, MUDA allocated 50 per cent of the developed land to landowners in lieu of undeveloped land acquired for residential layouts. It is alleged that Parvathi did not have legal title over the 3.16 acres of land located at survey number 464 in Kasare village, Kasaba hobli of Mysuru taluk.

Siddaramaiah and Congress leaders claim the site allotment to Ms. Parvathi was legal. and within the framework of the 50:50 scheme introduced by the erstwhile BJP Government, but also released a list of other MUDA beneficiaries that name several JD(S) leaders, including Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy.

A virulent, no-holds-barred attack by NDA allies BJP and JD(S) has taken the form of protests, night-long dharnas and, currently a 10-day long padayatra from Bengaluru to Mysuru.  

As things stand, the government has set-up a one-man judicial commission to probe into the scam. Amid all these developments, a show cause notice by Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot also hangs over the CM’s head.