HC quashes ED summons to CM’s wife and minister in Muda ‘irregularities’ probe

The Karnataka high court has invalidated the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to Parvathi, the wife of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and minister Byrathi Suresh in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (Muda) scam investigation.

The decision, delivered by a bench led by Justice M Nagaprasanna, comes as a relief to the petitioners, who challenged the ED’s move in court.

The ED sought to question Parvathi and Byrathi Suresh as part of its probe into the alleged irregularities in land allocations by Muda.

However, both filed separate petitions seeking to quash the summons.

The high court had earlier placed a stay on the ED’s order and has now formally cancelled it.

During the proceedings, Senior Counsel Sandesh Chouta, representing Parvathi, argued that the ED was conducting a parallel probe despite the matter already being investigated by the Lokayukta police and a Special Investigation Team (SIT).

He added that the Lokayukta police had filed a “B report”, stating no illegality was found in their investigation.

Senior Counsel CV Nagesh, appearing for minister Suresh, contended that the summons should be set aside since his client had not been named as an accused in the original case.

Meanwhile, Additional Solicitor General Kamath, representing the ED, maintained that under Section 50(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the agency had the right to summon individuals, even if they were not accused, to obtain relevant documents and records.

The ED’s investigation focuses on the return of disputed sites, with Parvathi reportedly surrendering 14 Muda sites on October 1 last year.

The agency is also scrutinising an additional 1,708 sites and has temporarily seized 160 sites linked to the case.

The inquiry covers multiple aspects, including land acquisition and conversion processes.

The high court, after hearing all arguments, earlier placed a stay on the summons on January 27 while reserving its verdict.

With Friday’s ruling, the summons have been officially nullified, marking a setback for the ED’s probe into the Muda scam.