HC quashes ED summons to CM Siddaramaiah’s wife, minister

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has invalidated the Enforcement Directorate’s summons issued to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi B M in the controversial MUDA site allotment case. In the same ruling on Friday, Justice M Nagaprasanna also set aside the ED’s summons to Urban Development Minister B S Suresh (Byrathi Suresh).

The court’s decision comes after it had previously put the summons on hold on January 27. Both Parvathi and Suresh had filed petitions challenging the ED’s actions.

During proceedings, Parvathi’s counsel, Senior Advocate Sandesh Chouta, argued that the ED was conducting a “parallel investigation” despite ongoing probes by the Lokayukta police and a Special Investigation Team.

Representing the ED, Additional Solicitor General of India Arvind Kamath countered that “Parvathi was the second accused in the predicate offence and had received proceeds of crime.”

Minister Suresh’s counsel, Senior Advocate CV Nagesh, maintained that his client “was not an accused in the case and therefore should not have been summoned.” However, ASG Kamath argued that the Prevention of Money Laundering Act grants the ED authority to summon individuals for documents, even if they aren’t named as accused.

The case involves allegations of irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to Parvathi by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). The ED had alleged in its January 17 provisional attachment order that “illegal compensation in the form of sites at posh locality worth Rs 56 crore (approx.) was obtained through political influence.”

The controversy centres on MUDA’s allotment of plots to Parvathi under a “50:50 ratio scheme” in exchange for 3.16 acres of her land. Under this contested scheme, MUDA provided 50 per cent of developed land to landowners whose property was acquired for residential layouts.

It is alleged that Parvathi “had no legal title” over the 3.16 acres at survey number 464 of Kasare village.

Last month, Lokayukta Police gave a clean chit to Siddaramaiah, Parvathi, and two other accused, stating that “allegations against the first four accused have not been proven due to lack of evidence.”