BENGALURU: Karnataka Minister for Urban Development Byrathi Suresh on Tuesday denied his involvement in the MUDA scam and said he and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife, B.M. Parvathi, had "zero role" in the case.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Minister Suresh said, “I am very clear. The court granted the stay after considering that we had no role in the case. The matter has been adjourned to February 10, and we will see what happens after that, ” he said. The High Court on Monday stayed the notice issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to him and the CM’s wife for appearance before the agency in the case.
“I and the Congress party have full trust in the judiciary and the Constitution. We will follow the court’s orders. The ED officials must explain why they issued notices to us, ” the Minister asserted.
He further said, “I was surprised when I received the notice. When the scam occurred, I was not in charge of the Urban Development Ministry. I did not allot or acquire any sites. After questions were raised, the sites allotted to the CM’s wife were returned. The High Court Judge was convinced of these facts and issued the stay. This is the first notice I have received from the ED.”
Minister Suresh is close confidante of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. BJP has alleged that he had taken away all the documents pertaining to the MUDA case in a helicopter to Bengaluru and destroyed them.
The Dharwad Bench of Karnataka High Court, headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna, on Monday, while granting the stay questioned the urgency of the ED's actions, asking, "What is the tearing hurry?"
CM Siddaramaiah's wife, Parvathi, who has been named as the second accused in the case, was asked to appear before the ED on Tuesday (January 28).
Minister Byrathi Suresh was scheduled to appear before ED officers on Monday.
Both Parvathi and Suresh had separately approached the court, seeking relief and requesting a stay on the ED summons.
The High Court granted a stay on the ED’s summons until February 10, pending the next hearing in the case.
Sandeep Chowta, counsel for CM Siddaramaiah's wife, argued that the allegations of illegal allotment of 14 sites against Parvathi did not involve monetary gain. He requested a stay on the investigation against her by the ED.
Justice Nagaprasanna questioned Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Arvind Kamat, representing the ED, asking why the agency was continuing its investigation when the matter was already being addressed in court.
ASG Kamat submitted that CM Siddaramaiah's wife is the second accused in the MUDA scam and is facing charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The bench noted that the illegal assets in question were no longer in the possession of the accused. It emphasized that the ED's investigation should not interfere with the proceedings of the court, which has reserved its judgment in the MUDA case.
The court further questioned the ED's urgency, stating: "What is the emergency to probe the matter at this juncture? The case has been reserved for judgment. Why should the investigation by the ED proceed now?"
ASG Kamat explained that the ED had only requested the accused to appear and produce documents and that this would not interfere with the court’s proceedings.
The bench responded that the MUDA case is based on an FIR filed by the Lokayukta and is currently reserved for judgment. The court observed: "I cannot allow this as it will frustrate the proceedings before me, especially since I have already heard the related case and reserved orders."
Previously, the High Court had also cancelled the summons issued by the ED to former MUDA Commissioner D.B. Natesh.
The bench stated that the argument that the ED is merely recording statements cannot be accepted, as failure to appear could lead to arrests by the ED. Appropriate orders were issued to stay the ED’s summons.
Senior counsel C.V. Nagesh, appearing for Minister Byrathi Suresh, submitted that his client is not an accused in the MUDA case.
Despite this, the ED had issued a summons directing him to appear before the agency at 11 a.m. on Monday. Nagesh requested similar protection for his client, arguing that the High Court had already cancelled the summons issued to former MUDA Commissioner, Natesh.
The Enforcement Directorate issued a notice to Parvathi and the Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh. Sources said the notice was issued to Parvathi and Minister Suresh under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) Act. It was revealed that since there is a possibility of the ED initiating legal measures against CM Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi this time, the CM’s family had approached the High Court to seek a stay on the notice by the ED.