Relief for Siddaramaiah’s wife and minister Byrathi Suresh

Bengaluru: In a major reprieve for Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi Siddaramaiah and Minister Byrathi Suresh, the Supreme Court has dismissed the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) petition challenging the Karnataka High Court’s order that quashed summons issued to them in connection with the high-profile Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam.

A bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai came down heavily on the ED for what it called “political misuse” of its powers, cautioning the central agency against being used as a tool for political rivalries. “Please don’t compel us to open our mouth. If we do, we may have to say some harsh things about the ED. Unfortunately, I have seen how this works in Maharashtra. You cannot continue this conduct across the country. Let political fights be settled in front of the voters, not through ED,” the CJI remarked while hearing the Additional Solicitor General S V Raju’s arguments.

The Supreme Court found no merit in the ED’s plea and upheld the single-judge Karnataka High Court verdict which had found no procedural lapse while quashing the summons. The apex court said there was no reason to interfere with the High Court’s detailed order, effectively freeing Parvathi Siddaramaiah and Byrathi Suresh from further summons under the present proceedings.

Background to the case

The MUDA scam has rocked Karnataka politics for over a year now, with allegations of irregular allotment of multiple residential sites to politically influential individuals. The ED had issued summons to Parvathi Siddaramaiah and Byrathi Suresh to appear for questioning in connection with alleged money laundering linked to suspicious site allocations. The Karnataka High Court’s Dharwad bench had in March 2025 quashed the summons citing lack of substantial evidence and procedural violations.

The ED challenged this before the Supreme Court, hoping to revive its investigation. However, with the apex court’s firm stand, the agency’s attempt has hit a legal dead end for now.

The Supreme Court’s strong remarks are likely to fuel the ruling Congress’s claim that central agencies are being misused to target its leaders for political vendetta. While the MUDA scam itself remains under the scanner, this verdict relieves Siddaramaiah’s family of immediate legal trouble, at least in this angle of the probe.

Political observers believe the judgement will boost CM Siddaramaiah’s stand within the Congress, especially as the opposition BJP has repeatedly used the MUDA scam to corner the ruling party on corruption charges. Byrathi Suresh, a close Siddaramaiah aide and a powerful minister, too, has been under attack by the BJP over his alleged links to irregular site allotments.

Meanwhile, the ED is yet to clarify whether it will pursue other legal options or drop its probe entirely. The agency continues to face criticism for its alleged selective approach in pursuing corruption cases against opposition leaders while turning a blind eye to allegations against ruling BJP figures at the Centre.

For now, with the Supreme Court’s stinging observations, the ruling Congress has got fresh ammunition to question the ED’s credibility and push its narrative that central agencies are being wielded like political weapons in Karnataka.