SC rejects ED plea against K’taka CM’s wife, minister in MUDA case

In a sharp rebuke to the Enforcement Directorate, the Supreme Court on Monday questioned why the central agency was being used as a tool for political vendetta, while dismissing its appeal against a Karnataka High Court order that quashed the money laundering case against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife B M Parvathi and State Minister BS Suresha in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment matter.

At the outset, a bench headed by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and also Justice K Vinod Chandran, expressed disinclination to entertain the plea. The Chief Justice, voicing concern over the ED’s conduct, remarked: “Let political battles be fought before the electorate. Why are you being used across the country?”

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The Chief Justice Gavai told the Additional Solicitor General SV Raju who appeared for the Enforcement Directorate, “Mr. Raju Please don’t ask 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.  You don’t perpetuate this violence across the country now.  Let the political battles be fought before the electorate. Why are you being used as a …?”

“We find no error in the reasoning adopted by the learned single judge. In the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case, the appeal is dismissed.”

The case pertained to the alleged illegal allotment of sites by MUDA to BM Parvathi under the 50:50 ratio scheme. Under this, Parvathi was given alternative plots in a prime area of Mysuru in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land acquired by MUDA for developing a residential layout. The ED had alleged that the compensatory sites allotted were in a far more valuable area.

The Karnataka High Court, however, found no merit in the money laundering allegations and quashed the proceedings — a decision the Supreme Court has now upheld, dismissing the ED’s challenge with stinging remarks on the agency’s politicisation.