SC Rejects ED’s Appeal Against Karnataka CM’s Wife, Questions Its Role In Political Matters

The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the Enforcement Directorate's (ED)  conduct in politically sensitive cases as it upheld the Karnataka High Court's decision to quash the case against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife, Parvathi in the Mysore Urban Development Agency (MUDA) scam case. 

According to media reports, MUDA was alleged of having irregularities in handing out compensatory sites and sites being sanctioned to ineligible persons based on forged and bogus documents through middlemen in connivance with MUDA officials without the knowledge of the board. An RTI activist revealed the alleged involvement of politicians, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s Wife, Parvathi.

Cautioning against the agency being used as a tool in political battles, a bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai said, "Let political battles be fought before the electorate. Why are you being used".

The bench was hearing the ED’s appeal challenging a Karnataka High Court order that quashed proceedings in the MUDA case involving BM Parvati, wife of the Karnataka chief minister.

“Mr Raju (Additional Solicitor General S V Raju who was appearing for the ED), please don’t compel us to open our mouths. Otherwise, we will be forced to make some harsh comments about the ED. Unfortunately, I have some experience in Maharashtra. Don’t perpetuate this violence across the country. Let political battles be fought before the electorate. Why are you being used,” the CJI said during the brief proceedings.

The court dismissed the ED’s appeal, upholding the Karnataka High Court’s decision to quash the case. 

According to media reports, Parvathi had been gifted three acres and 16 guntas of land in Kesare on the outskirts of Mysuru by her brother Mallikarjuna Swamy in 2010. But, MUDA had developed the Devanur III Stage Layout without acquiring this piece of land. Based on Parvathi’s application for compensation, MUDA allotted 14 sites in Vijayangar III and IV Stage Layouts, measuring a total of 38,284 square feet under the 50:50 ratio scheme, in lieu of her land that was used for developing Devanur Layout.

The opposition alleged that she had been allotted 14 sites in an upmarket residential layout in lieu of her three acres and 16 guntas of land that had been acquired by MUDA to develop a layout. They also said that the allotted compensatory sites in the upmarket Vijaynagar Layout has a higher value than the land used for developing Devanur layout and holds a comparatively less market value. The opposition parties claim that the total value of the scam could potentially fall within the range of Rs.3000 to 4000 crore according to media sources.