New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth Rs 300 crore in a corruption case allegedly involving Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others. The 142 immovable properties, registered under the names of real estate developers and agents, are linked to alleged money laundering activities.
The ED’s action stems from an FIR filed by the Lokayukta Police in Mysuru under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The case centres around allegations that Siddaramaiah leveraged his political influence to secure 14 prime plots of land as compensation for his wife, BM Parvathi.
Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) initially acquired 3 acres and 16 guntas of land for Rs 3,24,700. However, the compensation provided to Parvathi in the form of 14 sites in a posh locality is estimated to be worth Rs 56 crore, according to the ED. The agency’s statement points to the “instrumental” role of former MUDA commissioner DB Natesh in this allegedly illegal allotment.
“The land was originally acquired by MUDA for Rs 3,24,700. The compensation in the form of 14 sites at posh locality is worth Rs 56 crore.” The federal agency said in a statement.
The investigation uncovered a wider pattern of illegal site allotments by MUDA, not only to Parvathi but also to several real estate developers. These sites were subsequently sold, generating substantial black money, which was then laundered and legitimised through various means, including registering properties under fraud names.
The probe also revealed that bribes in the form of cash, immovable properties, and other benefits were allegedly given to the then MUDA president and commissioner. These illicit gains were then used to acquire luxury cars and properties, often funnelled through cooperative societies to mask their origin.
The ED’s investigation continues, with former MUDA commissioner GT Dinesh Kumar and others facing scrutiny.
