HC reserves order on CM wife's plea against ED summons

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday reserved its order on a petition filed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife, Parvathi B M, and Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh, seeking to quash the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons issued in connection with the MUDA land allotment scam. On January 27, the High Court stayed the ED's notice directing Parvathi and Minister Suresh to appear for questioning in the site allotment case.

During the hearing, senior advocate Sandesh J Chouta, representing Parvathi, argued that she had already surrendered the sites in question and had never benefited from any alleged illegal proceeds. He cited the Vijay Madanlal Choudhary vs Union of India case, emphasising that under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), an offence requires three essential components—the existence of a scheduled offence, the generation of proceeds of crime from that offence, and the accused's direct or indirect involvement in using or handling those proceeds.

Chouta maintained that Parvathi returned the disputed properties on October 1, 2024, meaning she neither retained nor profited from them. He also questioned the ED's jurisdiction, arguing that the agency launched its investigation solely based on a hastily filed FIR by the Lokayukta. He contended that the ED was overstepping its mandate by attempting to probe the predicate offence, which was already under investigation by the relevant anti-corruption authorities. He challenged the ED's claim that its probe extended beyond the 14 sites, calling it an attempt to expand the case beyond its original scope.