The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has recently named Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his family, and key officials of the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in an ongoing investigation into a massive land scam worth approximately ₹56 cr.
The investigation has unveiled a series of irregularities, including the illegal de-notification of land, fraudulent conversions, and significant misuse of political influence, leading to charges of forgery and manipulation of official documents.
The case revolves around allegations that government-acquired land, initially intended for public development, was illegally de-notified without proper review or due diligence.
At the time of the land de-notification, Siddaramaiah was the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka and a member of the MUDA board, though it is noted that he did not attend the meeting where the de-notification was discussed.
This process has been flagged by the ED as lacking the necessary expert review, which has raised concerns about the legality of the actions taken by the authorities involved.
A significant aspect of the investigation also points to fraudulent land conversions, where officials from the revenue department falsely claimed to have conducted site inspections.
These reports, according to the ED, misrepresented the true condition of the land, failing to mention Muda's development projects or the presence of unauthorised constructions on the land.
Contradictory evidence, including satellite imagery and official records, indicates that these claims were fabricated to facilitate the unlawful conversion of land for private gain.
The investigation has further implicated Siddaramaiah’s wife, BM Parvathi, who allegedly benefitted from the illegal allotment of 14 prime plots of land in violation of established guidelines.
These plots, according to the ED, were allotted to her through political influence and without the required procedural scrutiny.
Although the sites were returned to MUDA after the ED probe began, the investigation suggests that the entire process, from the de-notification of the land to the eventual allotment of these prime plots, was orchestrated with the intent of acquiring valuable land within a MUDA-developed layout.
In addition to Siddaramaiah and his wife, the ED report has highlighted the involvement of Siddaramaiah’s son, Yathindra, who was an MLA and also a member of the MUDA board at the time of the land allotments.
The investigation also accuses Siddaramaiah’s close associate, SG Dinesh Kumar, also known as CT Kumar, of being involved in forgery and manipulating the allotment process to favour Parvathi.
The ED’s findings have led to violations being confirmed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
Key individuals named in the case include Siddaramaiah, BM Parvathi, BM Mallikarjuna Swamy, J Devaraju, along with several unidentified MUDA officials, real estate businessmen, and other influential figures.
Despite BM Parvathi returning the plots of land to MUDA in October 2024, the ED maintains that the offence of money laundering occurred under Section 3 of the PMLA due to the fraudulent nature of the land dealings.
The ED has also pointed to the involvement of DB Natesh, the then Commissioner of MUDA, in colluding with political figures and officials to facilitate the illegal land transactions.
As the investigation progresses, the ED is delving deeper into the financial transactions related to the scam, as well as exploring the possibility of hidden assets obtained through illicit means.
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