The Karnataka High Court has issued a stay on the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) summons for B.M. Parvathi, the spouse of Minister Siddaramaiah, and Urban Development and Town Planning Minister Byrathi Suresh, in connection with a suspected land misappropriation scam linked to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
Reports from media outlets such as The Hindu indicate that Parvathi was summoned to appear at the ED’s regional office in Bengaluru to provide evidence and submit relevant documents related to the investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. Previously, on October 25, 2024, she had been interrogated for over two hours.
In light of these developments, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar alleged that the enforcement actions against the two politicians were part of a political conspiracy. Addressing reporters near his residence, Shivakumar remarked, “This situation is not new to me. It’s inappropriate for two agencies to investigate the same matter concurrently. The Lokayukta is already conducting an investigation into this issue. Courts have ruled numerous times that other agencies cannot pursue parallel inquiries when the Lokayukta is handling a case.”
Additionally, the high court has rescheduled the hearing for appeals submitted by the Chief Minister and former Mysuru landowner J. Devaraju in relation to the MUDA case, setting the new date for March 22.
The controversy centers on the alleged misappropriation of land, whereby Parvathi reportedly received compensatory plots in a highly valued area in Mysuru, significantly more valuable than the original land taken by MUDA. This allocation falls under a contentious 50:50 scheme, where Parvathi exchanged 3.16 acres of her land for developed plots. The initiative, which aimed to provide 50 percent of the developed land to property owners affected by land acquisition for layout development, has sparked considerable debate.
