The allegation involves the illegal involvement of 14 sites worth Rs 56 crore allotted by Mysuru Urban Development Authority to Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi.
Bengaluru: Trouble mounted for Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday as a Special Court in Bengaluru passed an order directing Karnataka Lokyukta to launch an investigate him in allegation of MUDA land allotment scam. Taking to X, Karnataka CM said, “It has come to my attention through the media that the Special Court for Elected Representatives has ordered an investigation by the Mysuru Lokayukta. I will provide a detailed response after reviewing the full copy of the order. I am ready to face the investigation and continue the legal fight. As I said yesterday, I repeat today: there is no question of fearing an investigation; I am determined to face everything. After discussing with legal experts, I will decide the next course of action.”
It has come to my attention through the media that the Special Court for Elected Representatives has ordered an investigation by the Mysuru Lokayukta. I will provide a detailed response after reviewing the full copy of the order.
I am ready to face the investigation and continue…
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) September 25, 2024
The allegation involves the illegal involvement of 14 sites worth Rs 56 crore allotted by Mysuru Urban Development Authority to Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi. The Karnataka Lokayukta’s Mysuru district police will conduct investigation and will submit the report in three months. The order came on the petition of social activist Snehamayi Krishna.
The advocate Vasant Kumar, representing petitioner activist Snehamayi Krishna told reporters, “FIR will have to be registered as per the order. Mysuru Lokayukta jurisdiction will register an FIR and do the investigation.”
“The Chief Minister must resign so the Lokayukta can investigate transparently,” he further added.
Meanwhile, Advocate Laxmi Ayengar, another lawyer representing Snehamayi Krishna expressed happiness over the Special Court order. She said, “Extremely happy about the order. Now we have to wait for the Lokayukta to get going on the investigation, waiting for them to register FIR and get started…The Court has ordered the Lokayukta, if they do their duty fairly, I don’t think there would be any necessity on our part to seek for a transfer. But if the Lokayukta does not act and it doesn’t seem fair, then we would definitely move the Court seeking for a transfer investigation. But at this time, no.”
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed Siddaramaiah’s petition challenging Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s approval for an investigation into alleged illegalities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority’s (MUDA) allotting sites to his wife.
In his judgment, the single judge bench of Justice Nagaprasanna said that the order of sanction for prosecution does not suffer from non-application of mind by the Governor. It is alleged that MUDA illegally allotted 14 sites to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife in the prime location of Mysuru city. On August 19, the High Court in its interim order granted a temporary relief to Siddaramaiah by directing a special court in Bengaluru to defer further proceedings and not to take any precipitative action pursuant to the sanction granted by the Governor.
(With ANI Inputs)
