Investigators leave for Bengaluru at 2.30 am with key documents, hard drives

Mysuru: In a high-stakes operation, Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers have seized crucial documents linked to the Mysuru Urban Development  Authority (MUDA) 50:50 site allotment scam.

The 12-member ED team wrapped up its intense two-day raid around 2.30 am today, leaving for Bengaluru with a collection of documents, photocopies of land records and hard drives containing key evidence. The probe, which began on Oct. 18 at 10.30 am, spanned nearly 41 hours, stretching well into the early morning.

Based on the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife B.M. Parvathi and others, the ED is probing the allotment of 14 MUDA sites to Parvathi, in Vijayanagar Third and Fourth Stages, in exchange of her 3.16-acre land at Kesare.

During the raid, ED officials camped at the MUDA office and slept in rooms and corridors, while more than 20 armed Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, along with local Police, ensured round-the-clock security. Food and sleeping materials were ferried to the MUDA Office.

Yesterday, ED officers worked tirelessly, scouring records until 2 am and uncovering bundles of key evidence, including files related to Parvathi’s site allocation. MUDA Commissioner A.N. Raghunandan and Secretary Prasanna Kumar provided the requested documents, but frustrations grew as officers struggled to locate some critical papers, sources said.

The ED team also digitised the seized documents, storing them on hard drives. Investigators posed 41 questions to MUDA officials, demanding supporting documents for their responses.

The search continued relentlessly from morning until late into the night, with no break even after 10.30 pm. In a separate room, another team of officers focused on photocopying documents essential to furthering the investigation.