Education Department sends notice to CM’s wife and minister Byrathi Suresh

The Enforcement Directorate has issued a notice to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife BM Parvathi, the second accused in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, sources said on Monday.

The ED also sent a notice to Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh, a close confidant of CM Siddaramaiah.

Sources revealed that the ED had notified the CM’s wife on January 23 and directed his wife, Parvathi, to appear before the ED officials on January 27 (Monday). Minister Suresh has also been asked to appear before ED detectives on the same day.

Meanwhile, the CM’s wife Parvathi and Minister Suresh approached the Karnataka High Court challenging the summons issued by the ED in separate petitions. Parvathi’s lawyer requested the high court to accept the petition on an emergency basis. Taking into account the request, the court agreed to accept the petition on Monday.

Meanwhile, the High Court has taken up hearing of a petition seeking a probe into the MUDA scam by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

CM Siddaramaiah is the number one accused in the MUDA case and investigation is also being carried out against other people who got illegal allowances through MUDA.

In a setback for the Chief Minister, the Education Department, the Bengaluru Zonal Office provisionally attached 142 immovable properties with an approximate market value of Rs 300 crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). ) of 2002, in relation to the MUDA scam. .

“Former MUDA commissioner DB Natesh’s role has been instrumental in illegally allocating compensation sites to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife BM Parvathi,” the ED said in a statement on January 17.

Searches conducted during the investigation further revealed that MUDA had illegally allotted a large number of sites, apart from 14 sites allotted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife BM Parvathi, as compensation to real estate businessmen, who in turn sold these sites at a profit. and generating a huge amount of unaccounted cash.

Petitioner Snehamayi Krishna has alleged that illegal allocations made by MUDA run into billions of rupees.

The ED said the profits generated have been laundered and proven to be from legitimate sources.

“Searches also revealed that sites had been allocated in the names of benamis/fictitious personas of influencers and real estate businessmen. Incriminating evidence regarding payment of illegal gratification to the then MUDA Chairman and MUDA Commissioner in the form of immovable property, MUDA sites, cash etc. was recovered,” the ED stated.

“The attached properties are registered in the names of several persons working as businessmen and real estate agents,” the ED said.

ED launched an investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the Lokayuktha Mysuru police under various sections of the IPC, 1860 and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against Siddaramaiah and others.

Siddaramaiah is alleged to have used his political influence to get compensation for 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 Rs 3.24 lakh. The compensation in the form of 14 sites in the posh Vijayanagar locality in Mysuru is worth approximately Rs 56 crore.

The ED said it was also revealed that the money was diverted through a cooperative society for purchase of properties, luxury vehicles, etc., in the name of relatives of GT Dinesh Kumar, who was the previous MUDA commissioner.

More research is being done.

Earlier, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had strongly rejected the allegations of illegal allotment. His wife Parvathi had returned the 14 sites allotted to the MUDA.