Karnataka HC dismisses Siddaramaiah's plea in MUDA land scam case
The Karnataka High Court has dismissed a petition filed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, challenging the legality of Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot's decision to prosecute him over alleged irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam case. The bench, led by Justice M Nagaprasanna, ruled that the governor can make independent decisions and that his approval for prosecution "does not suffer from non-application of mind by the Governor," according to Bar and Bench.
Governor's decision to prosecute Siddaramaiah upheld
The court's decision upholds the governor's sanction granted in July, which allowed three activists—TJ Abraham, Snehamai Krishna, and Pradeep Kumar SP—to file corruption cases against Siddaramaiah. The allegations center around compensatory sites being allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife BM Parvathi in a high-value area of Mysuru by MUDA. These plots were given under a 50:50 ratio scheme as compensation for 3.16 acres of her land acquired by MUDA for residential development.
Siddaramaiah's legal challenge
Siddaramaiah had previously challenged the legality of Governor Gehlot's approval for an investigation against him in the MUDA site allotment case. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused Siddaramaiah of involvement in the alleged MUDA case, claiming it resulted in a loss exceeding ₹3,800 crore. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the issue, alleging that despite 15 letters about irregularities from the former deputy commissioner, no action was taken.
Siddaramaiah's defense
Siddaramaiah has defended himself by stating that the land for which his wife received compensation was a gift from her brother in 1998. He added that the compensation was granted during the BJP's rule, dismissing the allegations as politically motivated. Despite Siddaramaiah's defense, the BJP continues to demand his resignation and is calling for a CBI probe into the matter.
