Evidence of irregularities in Siddaramaiah's wife case, says ED; probe found over 1K other 'illegal' allotments by MUDA
The Hindu
Irregularities in MUDA land transfer to Karnataka CM's wife detected by ED, including tampering, forgery, and undue influence.
Evidence of several irregularities have been detected in the transfer of 14 sites by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to B.M. Parvathi, the wife of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, according to the ED.
The federal agency, in a recent communication sent to the Karnataka Lokayukta department, also claimed that its probe has also found that MUDA had "illegally" allotted a total of 1,095 sites in benami and other such transactions.
There was "contravention" of statutory guidelines" in the land transfer to Ms. Parvathi and evidence of "tampering", violation of office procedures, usage of "undue" favour and influence and "forging" of signatures have been detected during the Enforcement Directorate's money laundering investigation into the politically sensitive case.
The agency has also claimed to have found evidence that one of Mr. Siddaramaiah's personal assistants, S.G. Dinesh Kumar alias C.T. Kumar, wielded "undue influence" in the process.
The alleged illegal activities at MUDA "did not end" with the case of Ms. Parvathi as a total of 1,095 sites, with a market value of more than ₹700 crore, were "illegally" allotted, according to an investigation report accessed by PTI and information from official sources.
"Most of the allotments have been made in the name of Benami or dummy persons in the guise of land losers. However, the beneficiaries of these illegal allotments are real estate businessmen and influential persons," the Enforcement Directorate probe found.
The ED is conducting a money laundering investigation against Mr. Siddaramaiah, Ms. Parvathi, the CM's brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, Devaraju— from whom Mr. Mallikarjuna Swamy purchased the land under probe and gifted it to Ms. Parvathi— and some others after taking cognisance of a Karnataka Lokayukta Police FIR filed against them.
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