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Karnataka high court has set aside the Enforcement Directorate’s summons to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi BM in connection with the MUDA site allotment case.
As reported by PTI, The court also quashed the summons issued to urban development minister B S Suresh (Byrathi Suresh), who was not named as an accused, but was called for questioning by the ED.
Justice M Nagaprasanna delivered the verdict on petitions filed by Parvathi and Suresh challenging the ED’s action. The summons had earlier been put on hold by the court on January 27.
Parvathi’s counsel, senior advocate Sandesh Chouta, argued that the ED was conducting a parallel investigation despite the case already being probed by the Lokayukta police and a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
Meanwhile, Additional Solicitor General of India Arvind Kamath, representing the ED, contended that Parvathi was the second accused in the predicate offence and had received proceeds of crime.
Minister Suresh’s counsel, Senior Advocate CV Nagesh, maintained that his client was not an accused in the case and therefore should not have been summoned.
However, ASG Kamath countered that the Prevention of Money Laundering Act grants the ED the authority to summon individuals, even if they are not named as accused, to obtain documents and records.
Siddaramaiah is also facing allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife Parvathi by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority.
