MUDA Case: Court to Deliver Ruling on April 15 Regarding Objections Against Siddaramaiah's Closure Report
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Synopsis
The Special Court in Bengaluru has reserved its order on the ED's objection to the closure report in the MUDA case involving CM Siddaramaiah and others, with a judgment date set for April 15.
Key Takeaways
- The Special Court has reserved its judgment on the ED's objection to the closure report.
- Arguments were concluded by Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat.
- The ED is contesting the closure report filed by the Karnataka Lokayukta.
- CM Siddaramaiah is the primary accused in the MUDA case.
- The case revolves around the alleged illegal allotment of land.
Bengaluru, April 9 (NationPress) The Special Court for MLAs and MPs has reserved its order regarding the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) objection to the closure report in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case involving Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others.
After concluding the arguments and counterarguments, Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat on Wednesday set April 15 for the judgment.
The ED has challenged the closure report submitted by the Karnataka Lokayukta by filing a petition in the Special Court.
In its petition, the ED urged the court to reject the closure report from the investigating agency, Karnataka Lokayukta, Mysuru, in the interest of justice, and issue necessary directions for further investigation.
The ED, while arguing regarding the MUDA scam at the Special Court, expressed that the accused involved in money laundering should not be let off lightly.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been identified as the primary accused in the MUDA case, with his wife, Parvati, as the second accused, and his brother-in-law, Mallikarjunaswamy, as the third.
The Karnataka Lokayukta had previously submitted a closure report citing insufficient evidence against them.
Senior counsel Madhukar Deshpande, representing the ED, stated: “The Karnataka Lokayukta has submitted a ‘B Report’ against the four accused in the MUDA scam. Consequently, the ED is entitled to question this closure report. The Supreme Court has affirmed that those engaged in money laundering must not escape consequences.”
The counsel indicated that the ED shared all investigation details regarding the MUDA case with the Lokayukta police, but these findings were not considered, and the report will also be presented to the court.
The counsel asserted that the ED, as an independent investigative body, is authorized to contest the Lokayukta's findings. Even if the investigative team presents a ‘B Report’ in the original case, the Supreme Court has ruled in certain cases that the ED can still challenge it.
The MUDA case pertains to the alleged illegal allocation of 14 sites to the Chief Minister’s wife under a 50:50 ratio scheme in exchange for 3.16 acres of land gifted to her by her brother, the third accused. It is alleged that the Chief Minister’s wife lacked legal title to this 3.16 acres of land.
The Special Court mandated the filing of the PCR on September 25, 2024. The Lokayukta police in Mysuru had filed an FIR naming Siddaramaiah and his family members and others. The ED registered a case on October 1, 2024, initiating an investigation under the PMLA.
The Lokayukta had filed a closure report against CM Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvati, brother-in-law Mallikarjunaswamy, and landowner J. Devaraju.
The Karnataka High Court on March 7 annulled the summons issued by the ED to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife, B.M. Parvathi, and state Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh in relation to the MUDA case.
The petitioner Snehamayi Krishna lodged a complaint with the Commissioner of the Central Vigilance Committee (CVC) on March 12 against senior IPS officers serving in the Karnataka Lokayukta, questioning the clean chit given to the CM and his family members.
The petitioner also filed a writ petition before the division bench of the Karnataka High Court, contesting the single bench order that quashed his appeal for a CBI investigation into the MUDA case.
The ED filed an objection to this closure report on April 2, and petitioner Snehamayi Krishna also submitted a plea to the court questioning the Lokayukta’s investigation.
The investigative agency stated in its objections: “The investigation revealed illegality in land acquisition, allotment, generation of proceeds of crime and routing/layering of the same, undue influence in allotment.”
“The evidence/information collected during the investigation under the PMLA, 2002, was shared with the Lokayukta police, Mysuru, via a letter. Currently, the Lokayukta has submitted a report in this regard. A review of the report indicates that the evidence regarding illegalities in the denotification process of the 3 acre 16 gunta land at Survey number 464 of Kesare village shared by this directorate to the Lokayukta police has not been considered in the report,” the ED stated.
