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As row rages, ED searches MUDA office in PMLA case
A team of more than 20 ED officials with the central paramilitary forces searched the MUDA office in Mysuru and other locations, scrutinising documents related to the investigation
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids on Friday as part of a money laundering investigation concerning alleged irregularities in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA). The case involves chief minister Siddaramaiah, his family members, and other people.
Prasanna Kumaar, secretary of MUDA, confirmed that the ED team arrived at the MUDA office on Friday morning and began their investigation. “The MUDA commissioner has instructed us to provide all details and cooperate with the ED sleuths. The ED officials have stated that they will remain in the office till October 19,” he said.
A team of more than 20 ED officials with the central paramilitary forces searched the MUDA office in Mysuru and other locations, scrutinising documents related to the investigation. Officials in the know of the development confirmed that the ED’s actions were initiated following complaints alleging large-scale irregularities.
An official familiar with the matter said that the ED’s probe focused on various issues within MUDA, including land notifications, denotifications, acquisitions, compensation processes, and allocation letters. More than 40 questions were directed at the current MUDA commissioner AN Raghunandan regarding these matters. Officials also sought documents linked to Parvathy Siddaramaiah. MUDA authorities initially requested copies of the records, but the ED demanded original documents dating from 2004 to 2023, the official added.
A point of contention arose over a letter allegedly written by the chief minister’s wife, which appeared to have been altered using whitener. The ED questioned the authenticity of the letter and sought explanations for the modifications. “MUDA Commissioner AN Raghunandan, who took over two months ago, clarified that the whitener was applied before his tenure, and he had no information about the changes made,” the official said.
The ED’s investigation was based on a complaint filed by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna, who accused senior officials, including the CM, of misusing their authority. Although the raid did not cover any premises belonging to Siddaramaiah or his family, the CM and others had previously been named in an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), which is equivalent to an FIR.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah remained defiant on Friday in the face of increasing calls for his resignation, asserting that the law would take its course. “What should I do if ED raids on MUDA? What happens according to the law will happen…” he stated when addressing reporters during the raid.
Karnataka Congress leader and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar’s brother, DK Suresh, said that neither the Karnataka government nor Siddaramaiah felt threatened by the ED’s actions. Speaking to reporters, he described the raids as an attempt to exert political pressure, stating, “The raids were an attempt to make political threats.”
He further said: “There is no question about the Congress government and chief minister Siddaramaiah feeling threatened by the raids. The case was registered recently, and it is quite natural to conduct raids on the residences and offices of the concerned persons. However, the MUDA case is a transparent matter. The ED will have to follow certain procedures if it has to investigate a matter.”
He insisted that the investigation would not yield any significant findings, asserting, “In the course of the investigation, the ED will know that there is nothing in this case, and they will have to file a closure report.” Suresh said.
“To my knowledge, this is a case within the government and it is not connected to private persons. There is no involvement of private persons in the MUDA scam,” he added.
Welcoming the raids into the MUDA office by the ED, Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular) leaders criticised the ruling Congress for questioning the ED’s investigation and suggested that a fair probe would be difficult under the current government. Leader of opposition R Ashoka said: “A scam involving over 1,200 plots of land, including one linked to chief minister Siddaramaiah, was reported, leading to the raids.”
BJP Mysuru MP Yaduveer Wodeyar said: “The ED has taken the case seriously because Siddaramaiah’s family is involved. The CM’s family acknowledged their mistake by returning the site. In this case, the CM should resign and cooperate with the investigation. We have been insisting on this from the beginning. We trust that the ED will conduct an honest investigation. Next, we await the investigation report.”
