The Karnataka High Court on Friday quashed the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) summons to Parvathi B M, the wife of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Urban Development Minister B S Suresh (Byrathi Suresh) in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment scandal.
Justice M Nagaprasanna delivered the judgment on petitions filed by Parvathi and Suresh, challenging the ED’s actions. The court had previously put the summons on hold on January 27, pending a detailed examination.
The controversy centers around allegations that Siddaramaiah influenced the allotment of 14 plots in a prime Mysuru locality to his wife, an act deemed illegal by the petitioners. These plots were reportedly part of a compensatory arrangement under a scheme where MUDA allotted 50% of developed land to those who had their land acquired for public development.
During the proceedings, Senior Advocate Sandesh Chouta, representing Parvathi, argued that the ED was overstepping its boundaries by conducting a parallel investigation, despite ongoing probes by the Lokayukta police and a Special Investigation Team (SIT). In contrast, Additional Solicitor General Arvind Kamath, representing the ED, maintained that the PMLA allows the agency to summon individuals to gather documents and records, even if they are not named as accused.
Minister Suresh’s counsel, Senior Advocate CV Nagesh, emphasized that his client was not an accused and therefore should not have been summoned by the ED.
The case has seen its share of developments, with the Lokayukta police recently clearing Siddaramaiah, Parvathi, and two other accused due to insufficient evidence. However, the ED, in its provisional attachment order dated January 17, alleged that there was an attempted money laundering involving the illicitly allotted sites, estimating the illegal compensation to be around Rs 56 crore.
