Fresh raids at nine places

Mysuru: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted simultaneous raids early this morning in Mysuru, Mandya and Bengaluru as part of the ongoing investigation into a money laundering case linked to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). The case involves Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others.

The ED also targeted the office of a builder associated with the MUDA case. Builder Manjunath’s house and office were searched by ED officials. Additional raids are underway in Bengaluru, Mysuru and Mandya, covering approximately seven to nine locations, according to official sources.

Sources indicate that the ED sleuths raided the builder’s farmhouse on Bannur Road, his office in Rajarajeshwarinagar and his residences in Dollars Colony in Bengaluru and Dattagalli in Mysuru. Sources said that a house in J.P. Nagar, owned by the realtor, was allegedly used by a MUDA Commissioner for illegal transactions.

In Mysuru, four locations were raided, while one location was searched in Bengaluru. Reports from news agencies indicate that a total of nine places were targeted across Mandya, Mysuru and Bengaluru.

Notably, the ED conducted these searches independently, without involving the local Police in all three districts.

This round of raids follows an initial operation on Oct. 18, during which the ED searched the MUDA office in Mysuru and other locations. Last week, officials from MUDA were also questioned at the ED’s zonal office in Bengaluru.

The ED has filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against CM Siddaramaiah and others, taking cognisance of a Lokayukta FIR.

Siddaramaiah is currently under investigation by both the Lokayukta and the ED for alleged irregularities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife by MUDA. His wife, B.M. Parvathi, brother-in-law B.M. Mallikarjunaswamy, and J. Devaraju — who sold land to Mallikarjuna Swamy for gifting to Parvathi — are also named as accused in the case by the two investigative agencies.