Karnataka Chief Minister Linked to Major Land Scam: ED Freezes Properties Worth ₹100 Crore

Enforcement Directorate Takes Action in Land Scam

Bengaluru: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally seized 92 properties valued at around ₹100 crore as part of an ongoing investigation into the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case, which implicates Karnataka's Chief Minister as the primary accused.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the ED noted that this latest attachment follows a previous seizure of 160 MUDA properties worth approximately ₹300 crore. The total market value of assets linked to the alleged crime now stands at about ₹400 crore.

According to the ED, the properties in question are registered under various entities, including housing cooperative societies and individuals acting as fronts for influential figures, including MUDA officials.

The investigation was initiated based on a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Lokayuktha Police in Mysuru, citing multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others.

The ED's findings indicate a significant scam involving the improper allocation of MUDA sites, violating numerous statutes and government guidelines, with former MUDA commissioners, including G.T. Dinesh Kumar, playing a crucial role in the illegal distribution of compensation sites to ineligible parties.

Evidence collected during the investigation suggests that bribes were accepted in various forms, including cash, bank transfers, and properties, to facilitate these illegal allotments.

The illegal allocation process involved identifying ineligible beneficiaries and using forged or incomplete documents, often backdating allotment letters to circumvent regulations.

Payments for these unlawful allotments were funneled through cooperative societies and bank accounts belonging to relatives or associates of the officials involved in the allocation process. The funds were then used to acquire some of the illegally allotted MUDA properties in the names of these officials' relatives.

The investigation is ongoing.