Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi gets relief as Karnataka High Court quashes ED summons in MUDA case

synopsis

siddaramaiah wife returning 14 plots of MUDA land allotted to her by Mysuru authority

Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi, received a major relief as the Karnataka High Court quashed the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) summons issued to her in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case.

The ED had sought her appearance over alleged irregularities linked to land dealings, but the court ruled that the summons lacked legal standing. The case revolves around alleged financial misconduct in MUDA transactions, with the agency probing money laundering aspects. The ruling comes as a setback to the ED’s ongoing investigation, while Siddaramaiah and his party have maintained that the probe is politically motivated.

Earlier on February 19, Lokayukta Police said there was no evidence against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, his wife and others in the MUDA case. The admission by the Lokayuta Police comes almost a week after it submitted a final report to its headquarters in Bengaluru for scrutiny. It was an extensive 138-day investigation into the Mysore Urban Development Authority (Muda) site allotment case involving CM Siddaramaiah and his family.

The Lokayukta investigation, launched in September 2024 following a directive from a special court for elected representatives in Bengaluru, was led by Mysuru Lokayukta superintendent of police TJ Udesh.

Over 100 people, including bureaucrats, politicians, retired officers, Muda officials, and key figures such as Siddaramaiah, his wife BM Parvathi and brother-in-law BM Mallikarjuna Swamy were questioned.

The special court had directed an FIR against Siddaramaiah and three others on September 27 last year, based on a petition by social activist Snehamayi Krishna after governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot gave the nod for Siddaramaiah to be investigated.

The Karnataka high court upheld the governor's decision. The investigation covers alleged violations under IPC, Prevention of Corruption Act, Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, and Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition Act.