File photo of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah
Credit: DH Photo
Mysuru: The Enforcement Directorate officials on Monday searched the house of a person said to be close confidant of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Bengaluru residences two earlier commissioners of Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
Sources said, the ED officials searched the house of Rakesh Papanna in Hinkal Mysuru, It is said that the officials seized several documents and also took Rakesh into custody for further inquiry.
Besides, the ED officials have searched the houses of earlier commissioners of MUDA G T Dinesh Kumar and D B Natesh in Bengaluru.
Meanwhile, the ED conducted fresh searches on four premises of a Bengaluru-based developer in the city in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment scam.
However, officials clarified that the searches related to allotment of alternative sites on 50:50 basis and on settlement deed, - another mode was allegedly misused to favour a few individuals, for allotment of MUDA sites. The details of the searches were not communicated to the respective jurisdictional police stations.
Meanwhile, MUDA Special Tahsildar Rajashekar and Devaraj who sold that land to B M Mallikarjuna Swamy, the brother-in-law of the chief minister, appeared before the ED in Bengaluru for questioning on Monday.
Similarly, RTI activist Gangaraju also appeared before the ED officials in Bengaluru on Monday. He said the officials sought information on the allotment of sites on 50:50 ratio and alternative sites.
“They took copies of some documents that were in my possession. I will appear before the ED officials again on November 1, Friday,” he said.
Bengaluru raids
ED officials conducted simultaneous raids at two places in Bengaluru -- a builder's house in JP Nagar and Malleswaram. In JP Nagar, ED officials conducted checks at the house of N Manjunath, the owner of Karthik Builders and Developers, and seized several documents.
Meanwhile, in Malleswaram, the central agency officials conducted the checks at the residence of D B Natesh, the former MUDA commissioner.