MUDA 50:50 Site Assignment Scam: Blitzkrieg by Ed

New raids in nine places

Mysuru: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted simultaneous raids in Mysuru, Mandya and Bengaluru early this morning as part of the ongoing investigation into a money laundering case linked to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others are involved in the case.

The ED also targeted the office of a builder involved in the MUDA case. Builder Manjunath’s house and office were searched by ED officials. According to official sources, more raids are underway in Bengaluru, Mysuru and Mandya at around seven to nine locations.

Sources indicate that the ED sleuths raided the builder’s farm on Bannur Road, his office in Rajarajeshwarinagar and his residences in Dollars Colony in Bengaluru and Dattagalli in Mysuru. Sources said a house in JP Nagar owned by the real estate agent was allegedly used by a MUDA commissioner for illegal transactions.

Four locations were raided in Mysuru, while one location in Bengaluru was searched. Reports from news agencies indicate that a total of nine places in Mandya, Mysuru and Bengaluru were targeted.

It is notable that the ED conducted these searches independently, without the intervention of local police in all three districts.

This round of raids follows an initial operation on October 18 in which the ED searched the MUDA office in Mysuru and other locations. Last week, MUDA officials were also questioned at the ED’s zonal office in Bengaluru.

The ED has filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against CM Siddaramaiah and others, taking cognizance of a Lokayukta FIR.

Siddaramaiah is currently under investigation by both the Lokayukta and the ED for alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 locations to his wife by MUDA. His wife BM Parvathi, brother-in-law BM Mallikarjunaswamy, and J. Devaraju – who sold land to Mallikarjuna Swamy to gift it to Parvathi – have also been named as suspects in the case by the two investigating agencies.