The Karnataka High Court has postponed the legal proceedings against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah related to land scam involving the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
On August 17, Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot had approved the prosecution of Siddaramaiah. Siddaramaiah, however, challenged this decision in the High Court. He claimed that it was an attempt to harm his governance.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna instructed the respondents to submit their responses and rescheduled the hearing for August 29.
“Despite the strong objections from the complainants regarding the injunction, since the case is under this Court’s consideration and the pleadings are still pending, the court will defer any further action until the next hearing. No immediate action will be taken based on the contested sanction,” the Court stated.
On Monday, Siddaramaiah filed a petition before the High Court saying the sanction was issued “without due application of mind, in violation of statutory mandates, and contrary to constitutional principles, including the advice of the Council of Ministers, which is binding under Article 163 of the Constitution of India”.
Congress leader and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Siddaramaiah, contended, “You have an elected government which has the mandate of the people. Anybody on the street can come with a complaint. That complaint is made decades and decades after an incident. A ‘friendly’ Governor gives sanction.”
The case will be reviewed again on August 29.
