Karnataka: ED continues raids at MUDA office, crucial records missing

Officials conducted searches and inspections in the MUDA till 11 pm on Friday and grilled Commissioner Raghunandan and other senior officers

Mysuru: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths continued raids at the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) office on Saturday in connection with the land scam involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Sources said the ED was likely to intensify its search as crucial documents related to ownership, denotification and land conversion were missing. The Central Reserve Protection Force (CRPF) personnel and local police were deputed at the MUDA office.

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The CRPF personnel stayed at the MUDA building the entire night. The main entrance was locked and only MUDA officers, security personnel and ED sleuths were allowed. As per the instructions of the ED officers, MUDA Commissioner Raghunandan AN and all senior officers arrived at the office early in the morning.

The ED officers conducted searches and inspections in the MUDA till 11 pm on Friday and grilled Commissioner Raghunandan and other senior officers about the original documents relating to the land ownership and allotment to CM Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathy. According to sources, major documents of the ownership of the land allotted to CM Siddaramaiah’s wife dating back to 1992 were missing from the MUDA.

When asked, Commissioner Raghunandan told the ED that he had taken charge of the MUDA recently and didn’t know about it. Meanwhile, the ED team conducted raids on the residence of J Devaraju, the land owner and fourth accused in the MUDA scam, in the Kengeri locality of Bengaluru till midnight on Friday.

The sources said 20 officers raided the MUDA office and verified the documents. The sources further stated that the ED will also raid CM Siddaramaiah’s residence at any time and question him and his wife Parvathy, the first and second accused in the MUDA scam. Welcoming the raids, complainant Snehamayi Krishna said once the ED gets hold of the documents, the charges against the accused will come out in the open.