The ED’s ECIR, equivalent of a Police FIR, came about within days of the Lokayukta Police in Mysuru registering an FIR against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and three others in a case of alleged unlawful allotment of 14 housing plots in the same city to his wife Parvathy. The FIR, registered following a court’s orders, names Siddaramaiah as the first accused and his wife as the second. Brother-in-law Mallikarjunaswamy and Devaraju, the landowner who sold the plot, have been named the third and fourth accused, respectively.
The ED officials examined MUDA as well as Revenue department’s records and took clarification from the Commissioner and other officials during their search operations. The CRPF provided security during the search and denied permission to public into MUDA office. The search operations will continue Saturday, according to sources.
Soon after the news of the ED’s operations broke, the Opposition BJP stepped up its demand for Siddaramaiah’s resignation.
Opposition leader R Ashoka said the ED’s raids had followed statements from the Congress leaders themselves that illegal transactions worth thousands of crores have taken place in MUDA. If the Congress was unhappy about the ED’s action now, it was free to move the courts, he added.
BJP State President BY Vijayendra expressed confidence that the ED would be able to unearth the scam and pursue conviction of those responsible for the scandal. If the CM still chose to continue in the office, he would scar the office of the CM he was occupying, he said.
