The Karnataka High Court on Friday quashed the summons issued by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife, BM Parvathi, accused in the alleged Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam.
The single-judge Bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna further quashed the summons issued by ED to Byrathi Suresh. Though the Minister was not named as an accused in the case, the national agency had summoned him for interrogation.
On January 27, 2025, the High Court had stayed the summons issued to both Parvathi and Suresh.
The order was passed on petitions filed by Parvathi and Suresh challenging the ED summons.
Appearing for Parvathi, Senior Advocate Sandesh Chouta apprised the Bench that ED was trying to initiate parallel proceedings by conducting an investigation into the alleged irregularities in the allotment of land sites by MUDA when the main issue was already being probed by the Lokayukta police and an SIT.
Representing ED, Additional Solicitor General Arvind Kamath argued that Parvathi was the second accused in the predicate offence (the illegal land allotment) and was being summoned as she had received proceeds of crime.
Appearing for Suresh, Senior Advocate CV Nagesh contended that the summons issued to him should be quashed since the Suresh was not even named as an accused in the predicate offence.
ASG Kamath apprised the High Court that Section 50(2) of the PMLA gave ED the powers to summon even non-accused for acquiring documents and records.
The matter pertained to the allegations of corruption in the grant of land by MUDA to Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi.
As per the complaint, Parvathi was ‘gifted’ a land plot measuring a little over three acres by her brother Swamy. The land was initially acquired, then de-notified and bought by Swamy. It was developed by MUDA, even though private individuals owned it.
Swamy claimed that he bought the land in 2004 and gifted it to his sister. However, since the land was illegally developed by MUDA, Parvathi sought compensation. She allegedly received highly-inflated compensation, including 14 developed alternate plots of land that were much higher in value than the original three acres, under a 50:50 scheme.
The Mysore Lokayukta Police has already given a clean chit to CM Siddaramaiah, Parvathi and brother-in-law BM Mallikarjuna.
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