A fresh complaint has been filed with the Enforcement Directorate against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for allegedly tampering with records and destroying evidence in connection with an alleged land scam, Deccan Herald reported on Thursday.
The alleged scam pertains to the allotment of 14 high-value housing sites in Mysuru’s Vijaynagar area to Parvathi, the chief minister’s wife, in 2021 by the Mysore Urban Development Authority under a state government scheme. This was allegedly done in exchange for 3.1 acres of land that she owned in another part of the city. The land was allegedly illegally acquired from Dalit families.
On Monday, the Enforcement Directorate booked Siddaramaiah under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the matter. This was based on a first information report filed by the Lokayukta police against him, Parvathi, her brother Mallikarjuna Swamy and a person named Devaraju.
On Wednesday, one of the complainants in the case, Pradeep Kumar SP, filed another complaint against Siddaramaiah, claiming that the chief minister, Parvathi and their son Yathindra “unlawfully obtained and secured ownership of 14 government sites in a manner that raises substantial concerns regarding compliance with the provisions of the Money Laundering Act”.
The actions may involve misuse of authority and fraudulent practices, Kumar alleged.
“…Yathindra Siddaramaiah has functioned as a member of MUDA [Mysore Urban Development Authority] and participated in the proceedings in which his mother sought illegal personal benefit for her family,” the complaint claimed, according to the Deccan Herald.
Siddaramaiah, using his position as chief minister, was “tampering with records and destroying evidence himself as well as by using officials of MUDA”, Kumar alleged.
The complaint accused the commissioner of the Mysore Urban Development Authority of suppressing evidence.
He said that Yathindra and his mother, among others, are accused of abetment under sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Kumar also urged the Enforcement Directorate to arrest Siddaramaiah immediately.
On September 25, a special court in Bengaluru had ordered a Lokayukta police investigation against Siddaramaiah after the Karnataka High Court upheld the sanction granted by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to prosecute him.
Siddaramaiah had moved the High Court in August challenging Gehlot’s decision, contending that it was part of a concerted effort to destabilise the Congress government in Karnataka.
On Tuesday, Parvathi offered to return the plots in the matter. Subsequently, the Mysore Urban Development Authority said that it would take back the 14 plots.
‘If Siddaramaiah resigns, I will too’, says BJP’s R Ashoka
Bharatiya Janata Party leader R Ashoka on Thursday said that he would resign as the leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly if Siddaramaiah resigned as the chief minister in view of the allegations against him in the land scam case, the Hindustan Times reported.
This came a day after the Congress, citing a High Court order from 2019 in a case involving Ashoka, claimed that the charges against Siddaramaiah could be dropped if the sites are returned to the Mysore Urban Development Authority.
The court in 2019 dismissed criminal proceedings against Ashoka after he returned plots linked to an alleged land scam to the Bengaluru Development Authority.
“I will resign as per the demand made by four Congress ministers who held a press conference against me,” Ashoka said. “Let those four ministers get the resignation of Siddaramaiah first.”
He added: “My case and Siddaramaiah’s case are different. Still, I will resign from my post as demanded by Congress ministers but let them first get the resignation of Siddaramaiah.”
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