The tale of two cases

Fresh trouble for CM Siddu in Muda case

ED books Siddaramaiah in money laundering case

NT Correspondent, New Delhi/Bengaluru: In more trouble for Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Enforcement Directorate on Monday booked him, his wife and some others in a money laundering case linked to the MUDA land allotment case, taking cognisance of a recent state Lokayukta FIR, official sources said. The ED has pressed sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to book Siddaramaiah in its enforcement case information report (ECIR), the equivalent of a police FIR, they said. According to the procedure, the ED is empowered to summon the accused for questioning and even attach their assets during the investigation.

Siddaramaiah, 76, had last week asserted he was being targeted in the MUDA issue as the opposition was "scared" of him. He also reiterated that he would not resign following the court ordering a probe against him in the case as he has done no wrong and asserted that he would fight the case legally. Siddaramaiah, his wife B M Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and Devaraju -- from whom Swamy had purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi -- and others have been named in the FIR registered by the Mysuru-located Lokayukta police establishment on September 27.

The FIR was lodged after a special court in Bengaluru last week ordered a Lokayukta police probe against Siddaramaiah. The order of the special court came following the Karnataka high court upholding the sanction granted by Governor Gehlot for a probe against the Congress leader on allegations of illegalities in allotment of 14 sites to his wife by MUDA.

"ED has become PM's instrument of vendetta against opponents." —Congress leader Jairam Ramesh

Relief for Nirmala in 'extortion' case

K'taka HC stays probe against Union Minister Nirmala

NT Correspondent, Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Monday stayed investigation against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and others over alleged irregularities concerning the now scrapped electoral bond scheme. Justice M Nagaprasanna passed the interim order on a petition filed by BJP leader Nalin Kumar Kateel challenging the FIR in which he has been named as an accused. The matter will be heard on October 22.

A case was registered on Saturday against Sitharaman and others on the directions of a special court here, following a complaint relating to the scheme. BJP Karnataka chief B Y Vijayendra has also been named in the FIR. The complaint was lodged by Adarsh R Iyer, Co-President of 'Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath' (JSP), who alleged that the accused "committed extortion under the guise and garb of electoral bonds and benefitted to the tune of 8,000 and more crore of rupees.

"The complainant further alleged that Sitharaman, through the clandestine aid and support of ED officials, facilitated extortion of thousands of crores of rupees for the benefit of others both at the state and national levels. "The extortion racket under the garb of electoral bonds has been orchestrated hand in glove with officials of BJP at various levels," he alleged.

"If they put the fear in the mind of companies that ED will raid and then they are forced to buy electoral bonds and then ED stops action, then this is classic case of extortion." —Prashant Bhushan appearing for the complainant

Siddu's wife surrenders 14 plots after ED action

The wife of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Parvathi has reportedly written to Mysuru Urban Development Authority for surrendering 14 plots allotted to her after the Enforcement Directorate on Monday booked the CM, his wife and some others in a money laundering case linked to the MUDA land allotment case. Her letter to MUDA says: "Further, I wish to surrender and return the compensation plots by cancelling the deeds of 14 plots executed in my favour by MUDA. I am also handing over the possession of the plots back to the Mysore Urban Development Authority."