Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has reserved its judgement on the matter related to two separate Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons concerning Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife B.M. Parvathi and Urban Development Minister Bhyrati Suresh in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam case.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna on Thursday went through the arguments and counter-arguments, following which he extended the interim order, staying the summons issued by ED and reserved the matter for judgment.
Parvathi, named as the second accused in the case, is seeking to quash the summons issued by the ED to appear for questioning. Minister for Urban Development Bhyrati Suresh, a close confidante of CM Siddaramaiah, had also filed a petition seeking relief from the ED’s summons to appear for the investigation.
Appearing for the ED, Additional Solicitor General Arvind Kamath submitted that when the ED filed the case and registered ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report) when 14 allotted sites were in the possession of CM Siddaramaiah’s wife.
The investigation is required as these 14 sites are proceeds of the crime. The ED has not made any charges in the summons and issued a summons to receive information from her, he submitted.
The ASG submitted that directions went from the office of Minister Bhyrati Suresh. It was also said that his office had given endorsements and hence he was issued a summons for questioning.
He further submitted that the property of MUDA taken illegally has been handed over to relatives.
“The influential persons are getting the sites allotted in their relatives’ names. Many relatives of former MUDA Commissioner have got the sites allotted. The sites are allotted to grandfather, wife’s grandfather, brothers’ son illegally. These information would be shared with the investigating agency,” he said.
The ASG further stated that the corruption and money accumulated by committing crime are like Siamese twins. “Whenever there is corruption, the money gets accumulated illegally. The private complaint mentions Rs 5,000 crore scam and based on the complaint, the Lokayukta has filed an FIR. This is not just about allotment of 14 sites, the ED has investigated about the charges of illegalities committed in the MUDA.”
Senior counsel Sandeep Chowta, appearing for CM Siddaramaiah’s wife, said: “The ED is probing the allotment of 1,708 sites, it is not just about 14 sites. The ED is conducting probe by crossing its jurisdiction. It has already seized 160 sites temporarily and probed matters such as land acquisition and conversions.”
“The ED has entered the jurisdiction of Lokayukta police. The ED has not seized 14 sites returned to the MUDA. But seized other 160 sites. The Lokayukta police have submitted a closure report on this and stated that there is no misappropriation in the case,” he added.
Chowta further submitted: “On October 1, 2024, CM’s wife Parvathi returned all 14 sites, arguing that she is not in possession of the MUDA-allotted sites and is not benefiting from them. Therefore, the alleged proceeds of the crime are not in her possession.”
“If the proceeds of the crime were hidden, then the case would fall under the jurisdiction of the ED for investigation. If the assets were still in possession and being used, then ED’s jurisdiction would apply.”
However, in this case, Chowta argued that the ED registering an ECIR itself was incorrect.
Additionally, he pointed out that the ED registered the ECIR within just four days of the FIR being filed.
He argued that the ED is merely repeating the investigation already being conducted by the Lokayukta Police.
(IANS)
