MUDA land ''scam'': Home Minister G Parameshwara says no "cover up", rules out SIT probe
Bengaluru, Jul 8: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday rubbished allegations that the government was trying to cover up the alleged fraudulent allotment of compensatory sites to land losers, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi, by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
Ruling out a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the alleged scam, he noted that the Chief Minister has already clarified on the matter.
"We will not cover up anything, ours (government) is like an open book. There is no need to cover up anything in it. The Chief Minister has clarified, we need not speak about it repeatedly," Parameshwara said in response to a question on whether the government is conspiring to cover up the scam.
Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy last week took an indirect swipe at Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief D K Shivakumar stating that the MUDA site allotment scam was exposed by a "person who is eyeing the Chief minister's post".
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Reacting to this, Parameshwara said: "Regarding what Kumaraswamy has said, I don't have any information."
Asked if the government will form an SIT to probe the case, he said, "No. There is no need for it. The Chief Minister has given the clarification. What is the need to inquire?".
The BJP has alleged that compensatory sites were also 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, and sought his resignation.
The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout.
The controversial scheme envisages allotting 50 per cent of developed land to the land loser in lieu of undeveloped land acquired for forming layouts.
The BJP has alleged that irregularities to the tune of Rs 4,000 crore had taken place in distribution of sites to land losers by MUDA.
Karnataka Urban Development Minister B S Suresha (Byrathi Suresha) has ordered a probe by a four-member committee.
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Gold smuggling racket busted at Bengaluru airport, 5 arrested
Bengaluru (PTI): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted a major international gold smuggling syndicate operating through Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru following a coordinated operation, according to an official statement.
Five people have been arrested so far in connection with the case and efforts are underway to identify the key masterminds and dismantle the entire network, officials said.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, officers of the DRI’s Bengaluru Zonal Unit mounted surveillance at Terminal 2 of the airport, leading to the interception of a network involving foreign nationals and local facilitators.
The operation, conducted over April 6 and 7, culminated in the seizure of 3.356 kg of high-purity gold worth about Rs 5 crore in paste form.
“The officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Bengaluru Zonal Unit, have successfully busted a major international gold smuggling syndicate operating through Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL), Bengaluru,” the agency said in a press release.
Officials said the contraband was ingeniously concealed in paste form inside capsule-shaped packets, highlighting the sophisticated methods adopted by the syndicate.
Investigations revealed that carriers arriving from abroad deliberately chose Bengaluru as a transit point, exploiting longer layovers to facilitate covert transfers within the airport premises.
“The gold was concealed on the body and transferred using a pre-arranged passcode system inside sensitive areas such as washrooms and smoking zones, thereby bypassing Customs scrutiny,” the statement said.
The use of coded exchanges within restricted zones enabled the syndicate to evade routine checks, it said, adding that the probe also uncovered insider involvement within the airport ecosystem.
“The syndicate had further infiltrated the airport ecosystem, with the involvement of an insider who misused authorised access to restricted zones to receive and smuggle out the contraband,” the DRI said.
The operation also revealed the use of encrypted communication platforms featuring coded messages and disappearing chats.
Authorities said preliminary investigations indicate the involvement of a wider international network.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that the network is part of a larger cross-border smuggling syndicate involving foreign operatives, suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals, working in tandem with domestic handlers and facilitators,” the DRI said.
Officials said the case reflects the increasing sophistication of smuggling operations and reiterated that the agency remains committed to curbing such organised economic offences.
