The Karnataka High Court informed that the petition seeking the Governor’s permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a corruption case was largely copied from an earlier complaint. Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty made this statement before Bench.
The Karnataka High Court informed that a petition requesting the Governor to grant permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a corruption matter was essentially copied from a previous complaint on the same subject.
Karnataka Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty made this statement during a brief hearing before bench.
A Bench consisting of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Poonacha heard the matter.
Also Read: MUDA Scam | Karnataka HC Adjourns CM Siddaramaiah’s CBI Probe to January 27
The counsel representing the petitioner, MP Venugopal, requested additional time to present arguments.
The Advocate General urged the Court to compel the petitioner to address the concern that the current application was a verbatim copy of a private complaint submitted by activist Ramamurthy Gowda regarding the same issue.
AG Shetty stated,
“This is a copy-paste of a PCR (private complaint register), word for word, filed against the same respondents (Siddaramaiah and mineral companies). If your lordship compares from para 3 onwards of the private complaint with this writ petition, it is identical, including the paragraph number. After, in pencil, they have corrected in the writ petition… Only complainant has changed here (in the petition). Respondents and pleadings are identical. Let him come and answer on the next date,”
The petitioner’s counsel assured the Court that they would respond to the allegation in the next hearing.
The Court noted the submissions and scheduled the next session for April 17.
The plea submitted to the Court calls for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into corruption allegations against Siddaramaiah and others, centered on claims that mining leases were improperly renewed during his time in office.
Also Read: Karnataka High Court Directs Lokayukta to Detail MUDA Probe Against CM Siddaramaiah
It also seeks orders for the Karnataka Lokayukta to file a report on this matter and calls for the annulment of certain mining leases, alleging violations of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
Furthermore, the plea demands recovery of the alleged financial losses associated with these lease renewals.
It is noteworthy that this plea, first submitted in 2025, was dismissed due to the absence of the petitioner at a hearing.
However, an application to restore the case was subsequently granted by the Court in December 2025.