Karnataka HC quashes ED summons to CM Siddaramaiah’s wife, Minister Byrathi Suresh in MUDA case | Bengaluru
The Karnataka High Court on Friday set aside the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi, and Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh in connection with the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case.
Justice M Nagaprasanna, who delivered the verdict, provided much-needed relief to the Chief Minister and his family. Parvathi and Byrathi Suresh had approached the High Court seeking the cancellation of ED’s summons related to the alleged MUDA scam.
Additionally, the High Court dismissed a plea that sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter. The court ruled that an independent inquiry was already being carried out by the Karnataka Lokayukta, making a CBI investigation unnecessary.
The judgement came a day after Karnataka Lokayukta SP Udesh submitted an interim 8,000-page B Report on the case, stating that the allegations were “not actionable.” With this, the Lokayukta has moved towards filing a final report before the competent court.
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According to the Lokayukta’s findings, the accusations against the four individuals involved in the case were either civil in nature, misinterpretations of legal provisions, or beyond the scope of criminal prosecution. Earlier, the Karnataka Lokayukta Police had also informed complainant Snehamayi Krishna that the claims regarding the MUDA scam could not be substantiated due to a lack of evidence.
Meanwhile, the political storm surrounding the case continued, with Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar criticizing the BJP and JDS for what he described as a politically motivated conspiracy. Speaking at his Sadashivanagar residence on February 20, he said, “I had stated long ago that the BJP and JDS were using this issue for political gains. They even held a padayatra from Bengaluru to Mysuru, but when there is no signature of CM Siddaramaiah on any documents, how can he be involved?”
Supporting this stance, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge pointed out that the Lokayukta, as an independent investigative agency, had given a clean chit to the Chief Minister. “CM Siddaramaiah had always maintained that there was no scam and no involvement of his family members, and the investigation has confirmed that. We are not here to satisfy the BJP. The same Lokayukta had previously given clean chits to BJP leaders, and back then, the BJP had no issues with it,” Kharge remarked.
This verdict marks a crucial turning point in the case, significantly reducing the legal and political pressure on the ruling government.
