Mon Sep 30 17:04:09 UTC 2024: ## Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Under ED Probe for Land Scam
**Bengaluru, September 30, 2024:** The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a case against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the alleged land scam involving the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA). The ED has filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against Siddaramaiah under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for alleged money laundering.
The move comes following a Lokayukta complaint filed last week alleging irregularities in the allocation of MUDA land, implicating the Chief Minister among others. The Lokayukta had registered an FIR against Siddaramaiah, his wife B.M. Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swami, and another individual, Devaraju, based on a complaint alleging corruption in the land allocation process.
The Karnataka High Court had previously upheld Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot’s permission to investigate Siddaramaiah in connection with the allegations.
Siddaramaiah has denied the allegations, calling the case politically motivated and asserting his intention to fight the charges legally. He has also stated that he will not resign from his position.
The controversy revolves around the allocation of land under the MUDA to the Chief Minister’s wife in Mysuru. The Lokayukta’s FIR was filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 120B, 166, 403, 406, 420, 426, 468, 340, and 351.
The ED investigation is expected to delve deeper into the alleged financial irregularities and money laundering aspects of the case.
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