BENGALURU: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Bengaluru zone office, on Monday provisionally attached 92 sites, with a market value of Rs 100 crore, that were illegally allotted by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The attached properties are registered in the name of housing cooperative societies and individuals who are front/ dummy for influential persons, including MUDA officials. ED started the investigation based on an FIR registered by the Mysuru Lokayukta police under various Sections of IPC and prevention of Corruption Act against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others, the ED release stated.
The ED investigation revealed a large-scale scam in the allotment of MUDA sites by flouting various statutes and government orders/ guidelines and other fraudulent means, it stated. “The role of ex-MUDA commissioners, including GR Dinesh Kumar, has emerged as instrumental in illegal allotment of compensation sites to ineligible entities / individuals. The evidence with respect to obtaining bribe for making illegal allotments through cash, bank transfer, movable and immovable properties have been gathered during the course of investigation,’’ it added.
Total value of seized properties Rs 400cr
The ED release stated that the illegal allotments were made using fake documents or incomplete documents and also back dating of allotment letters in some cases in violation of government orders. “The gratification received for these illegal allotments was routed through a cooperative society and bank accounts of the relatives / associates of the officers playing a key role in the allotment process. The gratification was further used to purchase some of these illegally allotted MUDA sites in the name of relatives of MUDA officers,’’ release said.
This attachment is in addition to 160 MUDA sites, with a market value of Rs 300 crore, seized by ED earlier. The total value of seized properties is now Rs 400 crore.