Enforcement Directorate books Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah for money laundering

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has booked Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathy and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case.

While taking cognisance of a recent state Lokayukta FIR, the central agency filed an enforcement case information report (ECIR) in Bengaluru. Siddaramaiah, along with his wife BM Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and Devaraju — who reportedly sold land to Swamy, which was later allegedly gifted to Parvathi — have been named in an FIR registered by the Mysuru-based Lokayukta police on September 27.

The FIR was registered after a special court in Bengaluru last week directed a Lokayukta police investigation against the Chief Minister. The instructions from the special court came a day after the High Court upheld the sanction authorised by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to conduct a probe against the Chief Minister on the allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 locations to his wife by the MUDA.

The probe agency has invoked sections of the PMLA to book Siddaramaiah in its ECIR, the equivalent of a police FIR. As per procedure, the ED is authorised to summon the accused for questioning and may attach their assets. Siddaramaiah has termed the MUDA case as a conspiracy against him, and has reiterated he would not resign despite the court’s order for an investigation. In the MUDA site-allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites, located in a more valuable area of Mysuru, were allotted to his wife in exchange for land “acquired” by MUDA.

HC stays probe against Sitharaman

• The Karnataka HC on Monday stayed the probe against Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and others over alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped electoral bond scheme
• Justice M Nagaprasanna passed the interim order on a petition filed by BJP leader Nalin Kumar Kateel
• The matter will be next heard on Oct 22