The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday took former Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) Commissioner DB Natesh into custody, intensifying its probe into a suspected land allocation scam that has stirred controversy, with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also named in the case.

During his time as MUDA commissioner from 2020 to 2022, Natesh authorised the allocation of 14 prime residential sites in Mysuru to Parvathi, Siddaramaiah’s wife. Facing growing criticism over possible irregularities, Parvathi recently chose to return the sites. The ED’s recent detention of Natesh follows fresh raids conducted across several locations in Bengaluru and Mysuru, only a day earlier. This was the second round of searches; earlier in October, the ED had raided MUDA’s Mysuru office and additional locations, later questioning lower-ranking MUDA officials at its Bengaluru office.

The MUDA case has raised allegations that Parvathi received high-value sites under MUDA’s 50:50 compensation scheme, where the authority compensates land providers with developed land for undeveloped plots. Under this arrangement, Parvathi was allotted 50% of developed land in exchange for a 3.16-acre parcel that MUDA acquired from her. However, officials claim that she had no legal title to this land, casting doubts over the allocation's legality.

In response, Siddaramaiah dismissed the accusations, firmly stating that neither he nor his family had engaged in any illegal activity. He has also pointed to political motives, calling this case “politically driven” and asserting that his opponents are “scared” of his influence. Further enquiries will reveal, whether the acquisitions or defence is true to which extent.