ED may book Karnataka CM in MUDA linked money-laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) may register a money laundering case against Siddaramaiah, his wife and others in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case following an FIR registered against the Karnataka Chief Minister byKarnataka Lokayukta police last week, The Indian Express reported.
An Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) may be registered by the end of the day or by tomorrow, the report said citing sources.
“We are in possession of the details of the FIR and relevant case details. The offences fall under the schedule of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). A case will be registered soon after completing necessary formalities,” the English daily quoted a senior ED official as saying.
It is important to note that an FIR was lodged last week against Siddaramaiah, his wife BM Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and Devaraju (the land woner) and others after a special court in Bengaluru last week ordered a Lokayukta police probe against the chief minister in the case.
The order of the Special Court Judge, Santhosh Gajanan Bhat, came a day after Karnataka High Court upheld the sanction granted by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah on the allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife BM Parvathi by MUDA.
News agency PTI reported that the ED is studying the Lokayukta Police FIR, and may apply sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to book the Karnataka chief minister in its Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR).

In the MUDA site-allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land that was “acquired” by MUDA.
The opposition have accused Siddaramaiah and his wife Parvathi of benefiting from this “illegal” compensatory land deal, estimating the alleged irregularities to be worth ₹4,000 crore. Siddaramaiah, however, dismissed the allegations and accued the BJP of attempting to “destabilise” the Congress-run Karnataka government.