Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday, December 3, accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of sending a "prejudicial" letter to the Lokayukta police regarding land allotments, alleging a politically motivated attempt to influence an ongoing investigation and an imminent High Court hearing.
The ED's communication implicates Siddaramaiah, his wife BM Parvathi, and others in alleged irregularities involving the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotments. The agency claims over 1,095 illegal allotments worth Rs 700 crore, many purportedly made to benami or dummy persons concealing real beneficiaries.
"They have sent the letter a day before our High Court appeal hearing. What does this indicate?" Siddaramaiah questioned, describing the ED's move as an effort to prejudice the judicial process.
The probe centers on 14 compensatory sites allegedly illegally allotted to Parvathi in upscale Mysuru areas, exchanged for 3.16 acres of land under a 50:50 compensation scheme. The ED alleges systematic irregularities that include misuse of high-security bond papers for allotment letters, unauthorized land conversions and constructions, and potential involvement of MUDA officials and real estate businessmen.
The agency claims a "deep-rooted nexus" manipulated land allocation processes, with Siddaramaiah's personal assistant SG Dinesh Kumar accused of document manipulation. Satellite imagery and MUDA records reportedly suggest unauthorized construction on the land in question before its conversion.
Siddaramaiah, who served as Deputy Chief Minister and Opposition Leader during the period under investigation, has consistently denied wrongdoing. He characterized the allegations as politically motivated attacks by opponents attempting to undermine his political standing.
The investigation follows a Lokayukta Police FIR, with the ED probing a money laundering case involving Siddaramaiah, his wife, brother-in-law, and others connected to the land transactions. The allegations center on the allotment of 14 compensatory sites to Parvathi in the upscale Vijayanagar Layout in Mysuru, which reportedly held significantly higher property value compared to the land she had "acquired" from MUDA.