The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has raided the Bengaluru Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) office, with the Mysuru Taluk office, inspecting documents related to the alleged MUDA scam. This development comes after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah’s wife, who is allegedly involved in the “scam”, was returned the 14 plots allotted to her.

According to media reports, on Friday, the two teams of ED officials, consisting of 10 personnel, broke into the MUDA office on Jhansi Lakshmi Bai Road and the Taluk Office at Nazarbad along with an escort of the central paramilitary force (CRPF). The raids were confined to the offices and did not extend to premises belonging to Siddaramaiah or his family.

On Wednesday, MUDA Chairman K Marigowda resigned from his post amid the controversy surrounding the alleged irregularities in the allotment of sites to Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi BM.

Addressing a gathering of reporters, KPCC President and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said, “Why is the media calling this a raid? They are probably asking for some records for verification. All the information is any way in the public domain. They can perform their duties. The matter is in court and they (ED) have visited the MUDA office. As far as I know, they had asked for some records. Because they didn’t get them on time, they probably went there.”

Fair facts

“The MUDA scam has panned out terribly. Government land has been hidden. Why return legally acquired sites? Why fear? Returning these sites proved they made some mistake. The Constitution allows you to purchase land in our democratic system. They even called lawyers from Delhi; opposing arguments were made. Based on that, the courts decided what kind of investigations to conduct. If you have your officers in the Lokayukta and order an investigation against yourself, what will they do? Will fair facts come out?” said Union Minister Kumaraswamy.

Reports have indicated that during the raid on the MUDA office, certain documents have been sought by the ED personnel.

Previously, the ED had registered a money laundering case against Siddaramaiah in the alleged land misappropriation scam. Shortly after, BM Parvathi confirmed her decision to return the land in a letter addressed to MUDA, reclaimed by the agency the following day.

The 14 plots in question were allotted to Parvathi in the upscale Vijayanagar III and IV stages as compensation for three acres and 16 guntas of land lost in Kasare village, Kasaba Hobli, Mysuru Taluk. The issue came to light after RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna filed a case against Siddaramaiah, accusing him of irregularities in the allocation of compensatory lands.

(With inputs from PTI)

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