The Supreme Court on Monday reprimanded the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and said that political battles should be fought in the election, not through investigating agencies. Why is ED being used like this?
This comment was made by a bench of CJI BR Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran on Monday during the ED’s appeal in the Mysore Urban Development Board (MUDA) case. CJI said that do not open our mouth. Otherwise we will be forced to make harsh comments about ED. They said,
In fact, ED had sent summons to BM Parvati, wife of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in the Muda case. The summons was canceled by the Karnataka High Court in March. ED challenged it in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court finally rejected the ED appeal.
What is muda case
In 1992, the Urban Development Institute Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) took land from farmers to develop a residential area. In return, the landowners were given 50% site or an alternative site in developed land under the Muda’s Incentive 50:50 scheme.
What are the allegations against Siddaramaiah
The price of the plot of Vijayanagar received as compensation from Muda to Siddaramaiah’s wife is much higher than his land in the village.
Snehamayi Krishna lodged a complaint against Siddaramaiah. In this, he accused Siddaramaiah of forgery in documents for claiming family property to the Muda site.
From 1998 to 2023, Siddaramaiah held impressive positions like Deputy CM or CM in Karnataka. Even though they are not directly associated with this scam, they helped close people using their power.
Mallikarjun, brother of Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvati, illegally bought 3 acres of land in 2004. In 2004-05, Siddaramaiah was the deputy CM in the Congress-JDS coalition government in Karnataka.
Under the scheme, land owners whose land has been acquired by Muda. They have been allocated alternative sites of higher value as compensation. Also, real estate agents have also been given land in this scheme.
Revealing the land allocation scam, an RTI activist said that more than 6,000 sites have been allotted under the 50:50 scheme in the last four years.
BJP MP and spokesperson Sambit Patra said that this is a scam of 3 thousand to 4 thousand crores. It includes Siddaramaiah’s family. The Congress is silent on this.
