MANDYA, 4 DEC

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday termed as "politically motivated" the recent communication of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to the state Lokayukta police in connection with the MUDA site allotment case.

Siddaramaiah is facing allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife Parvathi BM by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

"It is politically motivated. Tomorrow our writ appeal against the single bench order is coming up (before division bench in HC). If they have done it just ahead of it, what does it mean? First of all they (ED) don’t have any powers to investigate, they cannot do it legally. Secondly, they have done this to influence the court," he said.

"The Lokayukta is conducting the inquiry, and they will have to submit a report. This (the ED letter) has been done to influence them, to make them prejudicial. This is politically motivated and out of political malice," the CM said.

According to the ED, evidence of several irregularities has been detected in the transfer of 14 sites by the MUDA to Parvathi. The federal agency, in the recent communication sent to the Lokayukta police, claimed that its probe has also found that MUDA had also "illegally" allotted a total of 1,095 sites in benami and other such transactions.

The CM said, "The Governor had asked to investigate, the district court (special court) told Lokayukta police to investigate and submit a report by 24 December. They (Lokayukta police) are investigating, but why are they (the ED) writing a letter? What is their intention? Isn't it deliberate?"

"They (the ED and Lokayukta) may share the information, but it doesn't mean that they should write a letter, and release it to the media," Siddaramaiah said, adding that the intention was "totally, hundred per cent political."

Siddaramaiah, his wife, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and Devaraju – from whom Swamy had purchased a land and gifted it to Parvathi – and others have been named in the FIR registered by the Lokayukta police on 27 September, following the Special Court order.

On 30 September, the ED filed an enforcement case information report (ECIR), taking cognisance of the Lokayukta FIR, and started its investigation.

Chamaraja MLA K Harishgowda who is also a MUDA member said that the State government scrapped allotment of 48 sites by a cooperative society to curb irregularities in MUDA.   —PTI