The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated a money laundering investigation against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam. The ED filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), equivalent to a First Information Report (FIR), following the registration of a state Lokayukta FIR related to the case.

The central agency's case names Siddaramaiah, his wife BM Parvathi, his brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, and Devaraju, who sold land to Swamy, which was later gifted to Parvathi. The Lokayukta police registered the FIR on September 27, following a directive from a special court in Bengaluru to investigate the alleged illegalities surrounding land allotments by MUDA to Siddaramaiah’s wife.

This court order came after the Karnataka High Court upheld the Governor's approval to investigate the Chief Minister over allegations of improper land allotments in 14 locations by MUDA. The ED is now authorized to summon the accused for questioning under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and can attach assets during the investigation.

Siddaramaiah, 76, has dismissed the case as politically motivated, asserting that he is being targeted due to opposition fears. He has stated that this is the first politically driven case against him and vowed not to resign, expressing confidence in his innocence and promising to fight the case through legal channels.

The controversy stems from allegations that compensatory sites in more valuable areas of Mysuru were allocated to his wife in exchange for land acquired by MUDA.