Vidushi Nautiyal, Pune
On Friday, the Lokayukta Police formally began investigating the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, in the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scandal. They registered a criminal case against him and others for the alleged illegalities in the allocation of 14 sites valued at ₹56 crore to his wife from the MUDA.
This has taken place around two days after the police was directed to begin a probe into the MUDA case by a special court in Bengaluru. Special Court Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat issued this order a day after the High Court upheld the sanction given by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to look into the allegations against Siddaramaiah.
The court ordered the Superintendent of Police to invoke provisions on prohibition of benami properties, prevention of corruption, and land grabbing under various laws.
The FIR against the Karnataka Chief Minister has been lodged under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 351, 420, 340, 09, and 120B. The Special Court also exercised its authority under Section 153 (3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.PC) and ordered the Superintendent to register the case, investigate and deliver the investigation report as required by Section 173 of Cr.P.C within 90 days.
According to his post on X (formerly Twitter), the Chief Minister of Karnataka is well aware that the Mysuru Lokayukta has been asked to conduct an investigation by the Special Court for Elected Representatives and 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,” he stated in a post on the social media platform.
The FIR also accuses Parvathi B.M., Mr. Siddaramaiah’s wife; B.M. Mallikarjuna Swamy, Ms. Parvathi’s brother; and J. Devaraj, from whom Mr. Swamy had acquired three acres and sixteen guntas of land, despite MUDA having created the plan and assigned locations to different beneficiaries on that land.