Mysore Land Scam: ED Alleges Rs.700 Crore Benami Transactions


The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has alleged that the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) allocated 1,095 sites, valued at Rupees 7 billion, through benami transactions. The findings were shared with the Karnataka Lokayukta as part of an ongoing investigation into the MUDA alternative site allotment scam, which also implicates Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his wife, BM Parvathi.

According to the ED, its money-laundering probe revealed statutory guideline violations in land transfers, favoritism, falsification of documents, and improper practices. The investigation uncovered that the alleged irregularities extended beyond Parvathi’s case, with MUDA failing to adhere to proper procedures in site allocations.

Key Findings:

The ED identified irregularities in land conversion, highlighting that inspections reported no unauthorized constructions despite contrary satellite imagery and MUDA records. An indemnity bond submitted by BM Mallikarjuna Swamy, the CM’s brother, lacked his signature, raising questions about procedural integrity. Land originally acquired by MUDA was allegedly denotified and later sold as agricultural land despite development being underway. Swamy gifted the land to his sister, Parvathi, in 2010, six years after purchasing it. The ED claims the land was projected as legally acquired through a gift deed, despite its origins in illegal transactions. The ED further alleged that illegal compensation in the form of prime sites worth 560 million rupees was obtained through political influence. These sites were presented as legitimate compensation from MUDA.

The investigation into the land at Kesare, measuring 3 acres and 16 guntas, revealed that the land had remained with MUDA and its allottees during the purported transactions. Both Swamy and Parvathi allegedly made no attempts to take possession of the land, further indicating misuse of influence to secure prime real estate.

The Lokayukta and ED continue to probe the matter, with the allegations drawing significant political and public attention.

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