The Karnataka High Court has quashed the Enforcement Directorate’s proceedings against Congress MLA K Y Nanjegowda in cases linked to alleged illegal allotment of gomala land and recruitment irregularities at the Kolar-Chikkaballapur District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Limited, known as KOMUL.
A single-judge bench headed by Justice M I Arun allowed four separate petitions filed by Nanjegowda, who had sought the cancellation of the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and prosecution complaints registered by the agency. The order was reported by Prajavani on Friday.
The proceedings concerned allegations that gomala land had been allotted illegally and that irregularities had taken place in recruitment at KOMUL. Nanjegowda represents the Malur Assembly constituency in Karnataka.
During the hearing, senior advocate Kiran Javali, appearing for Nanjegowda, argued that the police had already registered a case over the alleged illegal allotment of gomala land. He also referred to the Enforcement Directorate’s searches at the MLA’s residence in connection with alleged irregularities in KOMUL recruitment.
According to the submissions reported in the case, a B report had already been filed in the underlying criminal case. The defence argued that this meant the allegations lacked a basis and that the Enforcement Directorate did not have jurisdiction to file the private complaint. The High Court accepted the submissions and quashed the proceedings, including the ECIR and prosecution complaints.
The Enforcement Directorate had initiated searches in 2023 in connection with allegations of money laundering linked to the recruitment case. The searches covered Nanjegowda’s residence and other locations. In a press release issued in 2025, the agency said that assets valued at a total of ₹1.32 crore belonging to Nanjegowda and others had been seized.
The case brought together two areas of public administration: the management and allotment of government land classified as gomala land, and recruitment in a district-level cooperative milk federation. Gomala land is designated for grazing, making allegations involving its allotment relevant to land administration and the protection of common-use public resources.
The High Court’s order removes the Enforcement Directorate proceedings described in the petitions. The source report did not provide the full text of the judgment or indicate whether any separate proceedings connected to the underlying allegations remain pending.
