Bengaluru, Jan 27 Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday confirmed that his wife, B.M. Parvathi has received a notice from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the MUDA scam case.
While answering a media question in this regard, the CM said, “Yes. She has received a notice.”
The Enforcement Directorate issued a notice to Parvathi, who is the second accused in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam. The ED has also issued notice to the Urban Development Minister
Sources said the notice was issued to Parvathi under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) Act. The notice, signed by senior ED officer Murali Kannan, has asked her to be present before the ED sleuths on January 28 (Tuesday).
The sources further revealed that this was the second notice to CM’s wife Parvathi by the ED. On the first occasion, Parvathi had sought two weeks citing the reasons of ill health, age and inability to appear before the ED officers. She had also pleaded with the officers to allow her to appear before them online. However, the ED has not considered the pleas.
It is revealed that since there is a possibility of the ED initiating legal measures against CM Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi this time, the CM’s family has approached the High Court to seek a stay on the notice by the ED.
The counsel for Parvathi requested the High Court bench to take up the petition on an emergency basis. Considering the request, the court has agreed to take up the petition by Monday.
Meanwhile, the High Court has taken up the hearing of a petition seeking the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the MUDA scam.
CM Siddaramaiah is accused number one in the MUDA case and the investigation is also being conducted against others who got the illegal allotments done through the MUDA.
In a setback to the Chief Minister, the ED, Bengaluru Zonal Office provisionally attached 142 immovable properties having an approximate market value of Rs 300 crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with the MUDA scam.
“The role of ex-MUDA commissioner D.B. Natesh has emerged as instrumental in illegal allotment of compensation sites to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife B.M. Parvathi,” said the ED in a statement on January 17.
Searches conducted during the investigation further revealed that a large number of sites, other than 14 sites allotted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife B.M. Parvathi, have been illegally allotted by MUDA as compensation to real estate businessmen, who in turn sold these sites at profits and generated a huge amount of unaccounted cash.
Petitioner Snehamayi Krishna has alleged that illegal allotments by the MUDA amount to thousands of crores of rupees.
The ED said the profit generated has been laundered and shown as derived from legitimate sources.
“The searches also revealed that sites have been allotted in the name of benamis/dummy persons for the benefit of influential persons and real estate businessmen. The incriminating evidence with respect to payment of illegal gratification to then MUDA chairman and Commissioner in the form of immovable property, MUDA sites, cash, etc., were recovered,” the ED stated.
“The attached properties are registered in the name of various individuals who are working as real-estate businessmen and agents,” the ED said.
ED initiated an investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the Lokayuktha Police Mysuru under various sections of IPC, 1860 and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against Siddaramaiah and others.
It is alleged that Siddaramaiah used his political influence to get compensation for 14 sites in the name of his wife B.M. Parvathi in lieu of three acres and 16 guntas of land acquired by the MUDA.
The land was originally acquired by MUDA for Rs 3.24 lakh. The compensation in the form of 14 sites at the posh Vijayanagar locality in Mysuru is worth approximately Rs 56 crore.
The ED said it has also been revealed that money was routed through a cooperative society for the purchase of property, luxury vehicles, etc., in the name of relatives of G.T. Dinesh Kumar, who was the previous commissioner of MUDA.
Further investigation is under progress.
Earlier, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had outrightly rejected the allegations of illegal allotment. His wife Parvathi had returned the allotted 14 sites to the MUDA.
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