NEW DELHI: Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it had attached 142 properties with a market value ofRs 300 crore in a money laundering case allegedly involving Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah. The attached properties are registered in the names of various real estate agents.
The agency alleged that Siddaramaiah used his political influence to get compensation of 14 sites in the name of his wife B M Parvathi in lieu of 3 acres 16 guntas of land acquired by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
“The land was originally acquired by MUDA forRs 3.2 lakh while the compensation for 14 sites at posh locality is worth Rs 56 crore (approx). The role of ex-MUDA commissioner D B Natesh has emerged as instrumental in illegal allotment of compensation sites to B M Parvathi,” the agency said.
The agency said that its investigation found that a large number of sites, other than the 14 allotted to Parvathi, were illegally allotted by MUDA as compensation to real estate businessmen, who in turn sold these sites at hefty profits and generated huge unaccounted cash.
“The profit so generated has been laundered and shown as derived out of legitimate sources. The searches also revealed that sites have been allotted in the name of benamis/dummy persons or politically exposed persons,” the agency said.
ED claimed incriminating evidence on payment of illegal gratification to then MUDA chairman and MUDA commissioner in the form of immovable property, MUDA sites, cash etc were recovered. “It has been revealed that money was routed through a cooperative society for purchase of property, luxury vehicles etc in the name of relatives of G T Dinesh Kumar, who was the previous commissioner of MUDA,” ED said. Further investigation is on.
The agency’s case is based on an FIR registered by the Lokayukta Police Mysuru against Siddaramaiah and others.