Karnataka HC adjourns hearing on ED summons to CM Siddaramaiah's wife, minister Suresh

The court stayed the summons in the MUDA scam case, previously rejecting a request to transfer the investigation to the CBI.

The Karnataka High Court on Monday adjourned the hearing, till February 20, regarding the summon notices issued by Enforcement Directorate (ED) to BM Parvathi, wife of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and state Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh in connection with the alleged Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam case.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. (PTI)

The HC earlier granted interim relief to Parvathi and Suresh from appearing before the ED. it stayed the summons issued by the ED to CM Siddaramaiah's wife and Minister Suresh to appear in the alleged MUDA scam-related hearing. Both had approached the High Court questioning the summons.

A single-member bench headed by High Court Justice Nagaprasanna, which heard the petition, stayed the ED summons till the next hearing on February 10.

Earlier, the HC refused to transfer the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from the Lokayukta police. Reacting to this, Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president BY Vijayendra said that the court has not acquitted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

It is alleged that Siddaramaiah used his political influence to get compensation of 14 sites in the name of his wife BM Parvathi in lieu of three acres and 16 guntas of land acquired by MUDA. The land was originally acquired by MUDA for ₹3,24,700. The compensation in the form of 14 sites at Posh locality is worth ₹56 crore (approx.).

Legal Advisor to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, AS Ponnanna, said that the case is politically motivated.

Social activist Snehamayi Krishna had approached the High Court seeking a CBI investigation in the case.

The Karnataka HC earlier said that the material on record does not indicate that the investigation conducted by Lokayukta was partisan, lopsided or shoddy for this court to refer the matter to CBI for further investigation or reinvestigation hence the petition by Snehamayi Krishna is dismissed. (ANI)