Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s close aide & six others get ED notices

Bengaluru: The ED has issued summons to K. Marigowda, a close aide of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who recently resigned to the post of the Chairman of Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case citing health reasons.

He has been asked to appear before the ED for investigation immediately, sources said, adding that Siddaramaiah is also likely to get summons from the ED soon in connection with MUDA case.

The notices have also been issued to former MUDA Commissioners D.B. Natesh and G.T. Dinesh Kumar and others.

Sources confirmed that once they are investigated, the ED is likely to issue summons to Siddaramaiah who is the prime accused in the case. The ED had raided the residences of Natesh and Dinesh Kumar and seized documents.

“ED had seized four bags of documents from the residence of Natesh. He was later taken to the office of the ED in his own car,” sources said.

Natesh and Dinesh Kumar are accused of creating false documents and indulging in the distribution of MUDA sites worth hundreds of crores illegally to vested interests.

On October 29, the ED obtained crucial documents from a Mysuru-based RTI activist, Gangaraju.

On Wednesday, Siddaramaiah appeared before the Lokayukta probing the MUDA case and was questioned for two hours.

The High Court will take up the matter on the petition demanding a CBI probe on November 26. The court has also asked Lokayukta to submit its investigation report. He is the first Chief Minister to face a Lokayukta probe while being in power.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is the main accused in the MUDA case involving the illegal allotment of 14 sites to his wife by the MUDA. The Lokayukta and the ED are probing the matter currently. The CM’s wife had returned the allotted sites to the MUDA.

Marigowda, a close associate of Siddaramaiah had resigned from his post citing health reasons and claimed that there was no pressure from the Chief Minister or from the party to quit the post.  (IANS)

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