Bengaluru: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached 92 immovable properties having market value of approximately Rs 100 crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case in which Karnataka Chief Minister is named as accused number one.
The official statement released by the ED on Tuesday stated, “It is pertinent to mention here that the attachment of these 92 MUDA sites is in continuation to the previous attachment of 160 MUDA sites having a market value of approximately Rs 300 crore. The cumulative market value of Proceeds of Crime provisionally attached so far is approximately Rs 400 crore.”
The ED stated that the attached properties are registered in the name of an entity, such as a housing cooperative society and individuals who are front/dummy for influential persons, including MUDA officials.
The agency initiated an investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the Lokayuktha Police, Mysuru under various sections of IPC, 1860 and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others, who is the incumbent Chief Minister of Karnataka, the ED stated.
The ED investigation revealed a large-scale scam in allotment of MUDA sites by flouting various statutes and government orders/ guidelines, and also by other fraudulent means. The role of ex-MUDA commissioners, including G.T. Dinesh Kumar, has emerged as instrumental in illegal allotment of compensation sites to ineligible entities/individuals, the ED stated.
The evidence with respect to obtaining bribes for making illegal allotments in the form of cash, bank transfer, movable/ immovable properties has been gathered during the course of the investigation, the ED said.
The modus operandi for making illegal allotment involved identification of ineligible beneficiaries and making allotment using fake documents/incomplete documents in direct violation of government orders, and also backdating of allotment letters in some cases, the ED stated.
The gratification received for making these illegal allotments was routed through a co-operative society and bank accounts of the relatives/associates of the officers playing a key role in the allotment process. The gratification thus received was further used to purchase some of these illegally allotted MUDA sites in the name of relatives of MUDA officers, the ED stated.
Further investigation is in progress.
(IANS)
