Karnataka court orders Lokayukta probe against Siddaramaiah in MUDA case
A special court in Karnataka has ordered the Lokayukta, a state-level corruption watchdog, to investigate allegations against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The accusations pertain to alleged irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam case. Special Court Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat issued this directive on Wednesday, after the Karnataka High Court dismissed Siddaramaiah's plea challengig Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's approval for an inquiry into the matter.
High court dismisses Siddaramaiah's plea, upholds investigation
The special court has also instructed the Lokayukta to submit a report within three months and directed relevant authorities to file an FIR in this case. This development comes after the HC's observation on Siddaramaiah's plea challenging Governor Gehlot's order sanctioning an investigation under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988. The governor had given his approval following complaints by activists Pradeep Kumar SP, TJ Abraham, and Snehamayi Krishna.
Allegations of illegal land allotment against Siddaramaiah
The activists accused Siddaramaiah of profiting from the unlawful allocation of valuable MUDA plots. The high court, while dismissing Siddaramaiah's plea, found it hard to believe that he was not "behind the curtain" during the entire MUDA land transaction. Justice M Nagaprasanna stated that his family allegedly benefited approximately ₹56 crore from this deal.
Siddaramaiah denies allegations, BJP demands resignation
In response to these developments, the Bharatiya Janata Party has called for Siddaramaiah's resignation, while the Congress has labeled it a "conspiracy." Siddaramaiah has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. He stated at a press conference, "Why should I resign? Has (HD) Kumaraswamy (Union Minister) resigned? He is on bail, ask him...it is only said that inquiry needs to be done. At the inquiry stage itself, resignation is sought. I will answer them..we will face them politically because it is a conspiracy."
Allegations of improper land allocation in MUDA scandal
The allegations revolve around the improper allocation of 14 plots to Siddaramaiah's wife, Parvathi, by MUDA. The opposition parties have accused Siddaramaiah of usurping land belonging to the Dalit community, with estimates of the scam reaching ₹3,000 crore. Complainant Krishna alleges that MUDA created forged documents to acquire these plots and that these accusations also extend to Siddaramaiah's brother-in-law, Malikarjuna Swamy Devaraj.
