‘Are they trying to influence court, Lokayukta?’: Parameshwara after ED writes to Lokayukta

BENGALURU: After the Enforcement Directorate (ED) wrote to the Karnataka Lokayuta over the MUDA case, Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday questioned the investigation by two agencies on the same issue at the same time and stated that this cannot be done under the Article 22 of the Constitution. He termed it as “double jeopardy”.

He questioned the ED’s intention behind writing the letter to the Lokayuta before the petition came up for hearing in High Court, saying, “Are they trying to influence court and Lokayukta?”

“…As per the Constitution, you cannot have two agencies investigating the same issue. It’s a double jeopardy. Article 22 says that it cannot be done. So that is what we were saying…. What is your intention? Are you trying to influence the court or you trying to influence the Lokayukta? I think some somewhere there is some doubt arises. These ED action arises some of these doubts”, he said.

The Enforcement Directorate has become an Enslaved Directorate. They are nothing but hapless and helpless puppets of BJP Government.

ED’s latest “leaked” fabricated report against CM @siddaramaiah in the MUDA case yet again expose the BJP’s misuse of central agencies as…

— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) December 5, 2024

Earlier today, IT-BT Minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge called the Enforcement Directorate an ‘Enslaved Directorate’ and said that ED is nothing but “helpless puppets of the BJP government.”

“The Enforcement Directorate has become an Enslaved Directorate. They are nothing but hapless and helpless puppets of the BJP Government. ED’s latest “leaked” fabricated report against CM Siddaramiah in the MUDA case yet again expose the BJP’s misuse of central agencies as political tools”, Priyank Kharge posted on X.

On Wednesday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lashed out at the Enforcement Directorate for writing a letter to the Lokayuta before the petition came up for hearing in High Court and said that the ED wanted to influence the court. “The ED had written a letter to the Lokayukta the day before our petition came up for hearing in the High Court with the intention of influencing the court…” Siddaramaiah said.

Siddaramaiah further stated that the inquiry report could have been submitted to the Lokayukta after the investigations. He also stated that there was a political malice and an attempt to bring the court to a position of prejudice behind writing the letter and leaking it to the media.

Just a day before our petition is set to be heard in the High Court, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) writes to the Lokayukta – a move clearly aimed at influencing the judiciary.

The ED’s investigation itself is questionable. Even so, the proper course would have been to submit…

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) December 4, 2024

Siddaramaiah also took to his X handle and wrote in a post, “The day before our petition came up for hearing in the High Court, ED had written a letter to the Lokayukta with the intention of influencing the court”.

“ED is investigating. It is not right that he is investigating. Even then, the inquiry report could have been submitted to the Lokayukta after conducting the investigation. Apart from that, writing to Lokayukta and leaking it to the media has political malice behind it. Regarding this issue, our petition is coming up for hearing in the High Court tomorrow. Behind the media publicity a day before this is a malicious political move to influence the court and prejudice the court,” he said.

“The court directed the Lokayukta to submit the probe report by December 24. If needed, ED could have given a report to the Lokayukta. Apart from that, the people of the state will understand the purpose behind doing this”, he added.

The ED, in its recent communication with the Karnataka Lokayukta, had claimed that MUDA had ‘illegally’ allotted a total of 1,095 sites in benami and other transactions. The ED also stated that the whole process of the allotment of sites to CM Siddaramiah’s wife was found illegal.

Meanwhile, Parameshwara also stated that there is no infighting within the state’s Congress party and rather BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) are jealous about them.

“There is absolutely no infighting within our party. We are always together and have promised the people of Karnataka good governance and we are doing it. BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) are jealous about it. The performance in three elections that is an indication that how people are with us so that is why they feel jealous. On one side our programs are successful, our guarantees are successful and another side in the election, we got all the three assembly results in our favor so they don’t, they don’t tolerate this”, he said. (ANI)