On Monday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches on places in Mangalore, Bengaluru, Mandya, and Mysuru in connection to a money laundering case related to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), sources added.
These searches allegedly swept through the compound of a renowned builder and other individuals that police believed were involved in the scam. The action comes within days of the ED summoning six employees linked to MUDA last week and ordering them to deport themselves at the agency’s zonal office in Bengaluru on different days.
Based on the instruction of the ED, those called have been asked to present many documents concerning the case, which the investigators feel may contain important evidence. The ED’s ongoing probe that aggregates itself from allegations of misappropriation and money laundering is focused on Siddaramaiah, the Chief Minister, other officials and some people related to the state government.
This development is a continuation of the money-laundering case registered by the ED last month against Siddaramaiah and others by the ED, following an FIR filed by the state Lokayukta that accused MUDA of corruption. The FIR names Siddaramaiah alongside his relatives, including his wife, B.M. Parvathi and his brother-in-law, Mallikarjuna Swamy. Swamy’s FIR is as follows: The accused met the victim to sell the land but booked her by reselling the property that was later gifted to her.
The ED uses sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the probe, which allows the agency powers to compel persons to provide information, raid powers, and seize property if required. Therefore, this investigation aims to discover the extent of the previous emphases and reveal officials’ involvement. As the names of important political personalities are included in the FIR, the ongoing investigation adds a political turn in Karnataka.
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