The Enforcement Directorate conducted fresh searches in connection with alleged scam in the allotment of compensation land by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority on Monday. The searches were conducted in Bengaluru and Mysuru.
According to officials, the searches were conducted by the central agency in about eight places in both cities. This is the second round of searches conducted by the central agency in the case registered against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his family members.
The ED first conducted searches in connection with the money laundering case on October 18. ED had raided MUDA office premises then and even questioned some officials of MUDA. The money laundering case stems from the Lokayukta probe against Siddaramaiah for alleged discrepancies in land allotment for Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi.
The chief minister recently approached a division bench of the Karnataka High Court after a single judge bench dismissed his plea challenging Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's approval for a probe against him in the alleged scam. Following the controversy, Siddaramaiah’s wife Paravathi offered to return compensatory sites allotted for her. Lokayukta recently interrogated Parvathi.
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In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that 14 compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by MUDA for developing a residential layout.
The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, PTI reported. Allegedly, Parvathi had no legal title over the 3.16 acres of land at survey number 464 of Kasare village, Kasaba hobli of Mysuru taluk.
