After Kejriwal And Soren, Siddaramaiah Next? ED Likely To Register Case Against Karnataka CM In MUDA Land Case: Report

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is expected to file a money laundering case against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his wife, among others, in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case, according to sources.

Indian Express quoted sources as saying that an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) may be filed by today or tomorrow, following a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Karnataka Lokayukta.

“We are in possession of the details of the FIR and relevant case details. The offences fall under the schedule of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). A case will be registered soon after completing necessary formalities," a senior ED official was quoted as saying by IE.

The filing of an ED case could lead to the attachment of properties belonging to the Chief Minister and his family, in addition to other legal actions. Meanwhile, the Karnataka government has withdrawn general consent to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Earlier this year, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal were arrested in connection with ED cases. Both were recently released on bail after spending several months in custody. While Soren took over as CM again, Kejriwal passed the baton to Atishi.

The Karnataka Lokayukta police recently charged Siddaramaiah, his wife, B M Parvathi, his brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, and former landowner Devaraju with corruption, cheating, and forgery, related to the allocation of 14 MUDA housing plots to the CM’s wife in 2021.

The FIR was filed by the Mysuru branch of the Lokayukta police based on a complaint by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna, which was referred to the Lokayukta by a special court for elected representatives on 25 September.

This development follows a Karnataka High Court ruling on 24 September, which upheld Governor Thawarchand Gehlot’s approval for three private individuals to pursue legal action against the Chief Minister under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

After Lokayukta’s FIR was registered, the complainant also approached the ED for further action. However, IE sources suggest the ED had already begun work on the case, which is said to have caused a loss of Rs 56 crore to the state.

Allegedly, 3.16 acres of land outside Mysuru, gifted to Siddaramaiah’s wife by her brother in 2010, were exchanged for 14 housing sites in a prime Mysuru locality under a 50:50 exchange program introduced during the BJP’s tenure.