Thu Jan 30 15:00:15 UTC 2025: **Bengaluru, January 30, 2025:** The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has declared the allotment of 14 sites to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife, B.M. Parvathi, as illegal. The ED’s Provisional Attachment Order (PAO), issued January 17th, alleges money laundering and names both Siddaramaiah and Parvathi as accused. The 14 sites were granted as compensation for 3.16 acres of land previously owned by Parvathi, which the ED claims was illegally denotified and converted for non-agricultural purposes. While the ED points to the influence of C.T. Kumar, a purported personal assistant to Siddaramaiah, in the land deal, and highlights Siddaramaiah’s position as either Deputy Chief Minister or Leader of the Opposition during crucial stages, it does not explicitly detail Siddaramaiah’s direct involvement.
The investigation revealed irregularities in the denotification process dating back to 1997, inconsistencies in land development records, and alleged violations of MUDA (Mysore Urban Development Authority) norms in the allotment of the 14 sites. The ED alleges a pattern of illegal land allotments, stating that a total of 1,095 sites were illegally allotted. The ED’s actions against MUDA commissioner D.B. Natesh have, however, been stayed by the High Court, which deemed them “unwarranted, illegal, and an abuse of process of law”. The High Court also stayed summons issued to Parvathi and Minister Byrathi Suresh. Parvathi returned the 14 sites to MUDA in 2024. The ED’s investigation continues.
First Piper 