The Enforcement Directorate (ED) continued its investigation into the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment case, extending raids to the residences and offices of prominent figures, including Rakesh Papanna, a close associate of chief minister Siddaramaiah, on Tuesday. The two-day operation, which began on Monday, focuses on irregular land allotments by MUDA officials.
In Mysuru, ED officials searched Papanna’s residence in the Hinkal locality, allegedly in pursuit of documents linked to controversial “50:50” allotment deals. A former Zila Parishad member, Papanna is under scrutiny for his connections to MUDA’s allocation practices.
As per the detailed report submitted by a MUDA technical committee in December 2012, one prominent case involves former Zilla Panchayat member Rakesh Papanna’s great aunt, Nagaratnamma. She allegedly received an illegal allotment of alternative accommodation, bypassing government approval processes.
“Rakesh Papanna had applied for compensation on April 15, 2024, to compensate for his 3.05 acres of land in Hinkal, Mysuru taluk. MUDA granted him sites on June 12, 2024, without following proper procedures,” the report said.
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In 1981, the MUDA issued a notification to acquire three acres and 5 guntas of land in survey number 211 of Hinkal village, Mysuru taluk, for the formation of Vijayanagara layout. The landowner, Pappana, rejected the compensation offered and took the matter to court. By 1999, the compensation was set at ₹48,750, but the he did not accept it and continued the legal battle. The court then directed MUDA to provide appropriate compensation.
On April 15 this year, Papanna submitted an application to MUDA seeking compensation. On June 12, the MUDA commissioner allocated him sites totalling 36,753 square feet in the Vijayanagara layout. Allegations have surfaced that MUDA should have paid the compensation with interest to the landowner as per court orders.
In October 2023, the government issued a directive stating that alternative sites should not be allotted on a 50:50 basis, citing violation of court order. Rakesh Pappana could not be reached for a comment on the allegations.
Simultaneously, the ED also conducted fresh raids at the office and residence of builder Jayaram, targeting MMG Construction in Kuvempunagar and Jayaram’s home in Srirampura. Jayaram allegedly played a pivotal role in securing allotments through MUDA officials, who facilitated numerous site allocations to him, raising questions about legal compliance.
The ED raids were also conducted in the homes of former MUDA commissioners DB Natesh and GT Dinesh Kumar, who face allegations of creating falsified documents to allocate MUDA sites illegally. Natesh’s home on 10th Cross, Malleshwaram in Bengaluru, was searched with the commissioner present. Dinesh Kumar’s flat in Banaswadi was also raided; however, he was reportedly unavailable, with his mobile switched off since the raid’s initiation, raising speculation about his whereabouts.
Further operations targeted the Dollars’ Colony residence of builder and realtor N. Manjunath in J.P. Nagar, Bengaluru. In addition to these raids, the ED searched nine other locations across Bengaluru and Mysuru.
On Monday, RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna handed over “video evidence” to ED in support of his complaint. In his letter to the ED additional director, Krishna said he has obtained a video. “It is clearly visible that bundles of cash are being counted in the back seat of a vehicle, while a conversation is taking place with a person in the front seat. In the conversation, a sum of ₹25 lakh is mentioned explicitly,” Krishna said.
Sharing the names of the persons between whom the cash transaction allegedly took place in the video, Krishna requested the ED official to summon them, review the video, conduct an inquiry, and gather the details regarding “transactions with the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in a 50:50 ratio.”