A special court in Karnataka has directed the Lokayukta (state-level corruption ombudsman) to conduct an investigation against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over alleged irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam case on Wednesday.
The Lokayukta’s police in Mysuru district have been assigned the task of investigating the alleged scam and are expected to present their findings within the next three months.
This directive was issued after activist Snehamayi Krishna filed a private complaint, prompting legal action. The court’s order came just a day after the Karnataka High Court dismissed Siddaramaiah’s attempt to challenge the governor’s August 16 approval for an investigation into the controversial allotment of housing plots to the chief minister’s wife in Mysuru.
Siddaramaiah, meanwhile, rejected demands for his resignation, stating that he would contest the case. He accused the opposition, particularly the BJP and JDS, of plotting to weaken the Congress-led government.
Justice M Nagaprasanna, delivering a 197-page judgment, stated, “No fault can be found in the action of the governor exercising independent discretion to pass the impugned order” and maintained that the governor’s decision was based on a well-considered approach.
The chief minister had previously sought to nullify the governor’s sanction through a petition, challenging it under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.
The alleged MUDA scam revolves around the unlawful exchange of less valuable land for prime property in Mysuru, allegedly to benefit Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi. The disputed land amounts to three acres and 16 guntas, with accusations that it was acquired through fraudulent means.
These claims were initially made by activist Snehamayi Krishna, who accused MUDA of falsifying documents to obtain plots worth crores of rupees. Opposition parties have since seized on the issue, pointing out that the land, which is valued at approximately Rs 3,000 crores, originally belonged to members of the Dalit community.
