Karnataka’s Urban Development Minister, Byrathi Suresh, recently denied being involved in a land irregularities case linked to the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA). He claimed that both he and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife had no part in any wrongdoing regarding the case.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Suresh said, “I am very clear. The court decided to hold off on anything after realizing we were not involved. The case will be looked at again on February 10.” He was surprised to receive a notice from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) because it was the first time such a notice was sent to him. Suresh added, “When the problem happened, I wasn’t even in charge of the urban development ministry. I didn’t give out or take any land. When questions came up, the land given to the Chief Minister’s wife was given back. The high court agreed with me and decided to pause the case.”
The Karnataka high court recently supported Suresh and another person, BM Parvathi, named as a second accused, by stopping the ED from moving forward with their summons. The court questioned why the ED was acting so quickly, asking, “What is the hurry?” Parvathi was asked to go to the ED on January 28, and Suresh was asked for January 27. Both asked the high court for help, which granted a pause on their summons until the next court session.
During the court talks, an attorney for Parvathi, Sandeep Chowta, argued that the claims of wrongly giving out 14 lands didn’t involve cash gain. He also asked to pause the ED’s investigation into her. Justice Nagaprasanna pointed out that the lands in question were no longer with the accused and said the ED shouldn’t interfere with the court’s process.
Arvind Kamat, the lawyer for the ED, explained that the agency just wanted the accused to show up and provide documents, which shouldn’t interfere with the court case. But the court didn’t agree, saying, “I can’t allow this as it will mess with the case I’m already considering.”
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah defended the accusations, calling the ED’s actions politically motivated. He said, “The whole MUDA case is politically driven. Isn’t the ED notice politically motivated? Why should I worry? I believe I will get justice.”
Previously, the high court canceled ED notices sent to former MUDA commissioner DB Natesh for similar reasons. Senior lawyer CV Nagesh, representing Suresh, argued that his client was not an accused in this case and sought similar protection given to Natesh. The case, originating from a complaint by the Lokayukta, is still under judicial review as the court waits to give its decision.
This situation has sparked political debate, with the BJP claiming that Suresh destroyed evidence related to the case, which he denied. Suresh said, “I and the Congress completely trust the judiciary and the Constitution. We will comply with the court’s orders. The ED should explain why they sent us these notices.”
The MUDA case involves accusations of the wrong allocation of land by the authority. The ED’s role comes from charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Justice Nagaprasanna mentioned that the court has already paused the investigation because it could interrupt their work. He asked, “What’s the rush to investigate now? This case has already been set aside for judgment. Why should the ED’s probe continue now?”
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