Wed Jan 29 06:52:23 UTC 2025: ## Karnataka High Court Condemns ED Actions Against Former MUDA Commissioner
**Bengaluru, January 29, 2025** – The Karnataka High Court has ruled the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) actions against D.B. Natesh, a former Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) commissioner, to be “unwarranted, illegal, and an abuse of process of law.” The ED had searched Natesh’s residence and recorded his statement in connection with an alleged illegal land allotment case involving the Chief Minister’s wife.
The court’s decision, delivered by Justice Hemant Chandangoudar, deemed the ED’s actions unjustified, citing a lack of evidence linking Natesh to money laundering. The court noted that while the predicate offence—the alleged illegal allotment of 14 sites—occurred during Natesh’s tenure, there was no evidence he received any consideration in the matter. Consequently, the court ordered the retraction of Natesh’s statement and declared the search of his residence unlawful.
The court criticized the ED for failing to meet the required standard of “reason to believe” for initiating such actions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). It highlighted that the ED’s reasons for the search lacked specific allegations against Natesh and were based on unfounded suspicion.
The ruling further stated that the ED’s summons and recording of Natesh’s statement unjustly infringed upon his personal liberty and that the agency had failed to uphold the principles of procedural fairness outlined in the PMLA. The court has given Natesh the right to potentially prosecute the involved ED officer under Section 62 of the PMLA for conducting a vexatious search. The court emphasized that individual rights and privacy cannot be disregarded and that any curtailment of civil liberties must adhere to due process of law.
First Piper 