K’taka HC gives nod to ED to conduct probe in MUDA land scam case
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday allowed the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to investigate all accused persons in the MUDA site allotment case, except former MUDA commissioner D B Natesh.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice N V Anjaria and Justice K V Aravind ruled that the ED is entitled to proceed with the investigation against other accused individuals in accordance with the law.
The ED had approached the division bench seeking a stay on a single-judge bench order that had quashed the summons issued to Natesh.
"Investigation under the PML Act is not to be hampered or put on hold, nor would its continuance be affected adversely in relation to the alleged scam. The investigating authority—the applicant, Directorate of Enforcement—notwithstanding the judgment and order of the learned single judge impugned in this appeal, is allowed to investigate the matter," the court stated.
It further stated that the impugned judgment and order should not prevent the ED from proceeding with the inquiry and investigation in accordance with the law concerning other accused individuals and persons who may need to be questioned or investigated in connection with the case, notwithstanding the impugned judgment and directions in the petitioner's case.
"As the court has permitted the inquiry and investigation to continue against other accused persons, the applicant—Enforcement Directorate, the investigating agency—shall be at liberty to utilise all documents and materials gathered, recovered, and secured during the search and seizure at the petitioner’s premises. The agency may also use recorded statements for the remainder of the investigation, in accordance with the law," the division bench added.
Alongside the Lokayukta, the ED is probing the MUDA site allotment case, in which Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi B M, her brother Mallikarjuna Swamy, and land seller Devaraju are among the accused.
In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land, which had been 'acquired' by the MUDA.
The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme instead of 3.16 acres of her land, where it developed a residential layout.
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Mexico's Congress approves higher tariffs on goods from India, China and non-FTA nations
Washington (PTI): Mexico's Congress has approved a bill that seeks to impose higher tariffs on imports from India, China, Brazil and several other countries with which the North American nation doesn't have free trade agreements.
The levies, which is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, was passed by Mexico's Senate on Wednesday after the lower house approved it.
The development comes months after US President Donald Trump imposed a steep 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods entering American markets, including 25 per cent for Delhi's purchases of Russian oil, in August.
The bill, submitted to Congress by President Claudia Sheinbaum in September, proposes modifications to 1,463 tariff categories (or products) covering more than a dozen sectors, including auto parts, light vehicles, plastic, toys, textiles, furniture, footwear, clothing, aluminium and glass, according to the Mexico News Daily.
The proposed tariffs range from 5 per cent to 50 per cent.
Among the other countries that will be affected by the proposed higher tariffs are India, China, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, the daily said.
China will be the most affected country.
The paper said that the government believes that the proposed tariffs would generate additional revenue of USD 3.8 billion per year.
The Mexican government is aiming to reduce reliance on imports from Asian countries, especially China, it added.
The proposal to increase tariffs on China and other countries with which Mexico doesn't have free trade agreements represents “an alignment with US trade policy,” Horacio Saavedra, a Mexican diplomat, was quoted as saying by the news outlet La Silla Rota.
“The [tariff] measure responds to the shared concern of Mexico and the US about practices that have affected national industries, especially textiles, clothing and certain manufacturing sectors,” Saavedra said.
India was Mexico's 9th largest trading partner in 2023, with a trade of USD 10.58 billion. The bilateral trade in 2023 consisted of Indian imports of USD 2.54 billion and exports of USD 8.03 billion to Mexico.
In the trade basket from the Indian side, the most important items of export are automobiles and auto parts, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods and chemical products.
From the Mexican side, the most important item is crude oil. Other products of export to India are gold and related jewellery, chemical compounds and telephone machinery.
