The order by Special Court Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat follows the Karnataka High Court’s decision, a day earlier, to uphold the Governor’s sanction for an investigation against Siddaramaiah regarding the alleged illegal allotment of 14 sites by MUDA to his wife, Parvathi.
Bengaluru: In the MUDA scam case, a special court in Bengaluru Today(Sept 25) ordered an investigation into Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah by the Karnataka Lokayukta’s competent authority.
The Mysuru district police, under the Karnataka Lokayukta, will investigate the alleged scam involving the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) and submit a report within three months.
The order by Special Court Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat follows the Karnataka High Court’s decision, a day earlier, to uphold the Governor’s sanction for an investigation against Siddaramaiah regarding the alleged illegal allotment of 14 sites by MUDA to his wife, Parvathi.
The High Court also vacated its interim order from August 19, which had directed the Special Court for People’s Representatives to postpone its ruling on complaints against the Chief Minister.
Siddaramaiah’s petition, which challenged the Governor’s August 16 order granting approval for an investigation under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, was dismissed by the court.
“The details outlined in the petition clearly warrant investigation. Given that the beneficiaries of these actions are the petitioner’s own family, the petition is hereby dismissed,”
ruled Justice M. Nagaprasanna.
“Any existing interim order as of today is now dissolved,”
he added.
In a major blow to Siddaramaiah, the High Court on September 24 ruled that Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s approval for the investigation was valid, and rejected Siddaramaiah’s argument that the Governor’s decision was flawed.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna stated that the petitioner’s family benefited from the alleged acts, necessitating an investigation. The court dissolved all interim orders in place.
In a post on X, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said,
“The Modi-Shah regime’s persistent misuse of the Governor’s office raises serious concerns for our constitutional democracy. Governors are merely ceremonial heads and should not interfere in the day-to-day functioning of state governments; they must follow the letter and spirit of the Constitution.”
He further added,
“The Karnataka Governor is attempting to destabilize a popular, pro-people government led by a leader who has risen from humble beginnings to become Chief Minister. This only reveals the BJP’s desire to control Karnataka from Delhi and force the state to submit to the ‘Delhi durbar’.”
“Our government is strong and will listen only to the people, not to Delhi’s bullies. We will fight this legally and politically against the Central Government’s malicious intentions,”
he asserted.
Venugopal also commented on the Tamil Nadu governor, saying,
“The Tamil Nadu governor has shed his facade of neutrality and is openly aligning with the RSS. RN Ravi must remember that secularism is a fundamental part of the Constitution he has sworn to protect.”
He concluded by saying,
“Regardless of what his BJP-RSS masters instruct, India’s rich multicultural heritage has thrived for millennia and will remain intact despite the RSS’s efforts. History shows that India and its people will always reject divisive politics and embrace inclusivity.”
What is MUDA Scam
The MUDA scam case involves allegations made by three anti-corruption activists T J Abraham, Snehamayi Krishna, and Pradeep Kumar who approached the Karnataka Governor in July, seeking permission to file complaints against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
They claimed that Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi, had received 14 housing sites from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in exchange for a 3.16-acre plot of land that MUDA had illegally acquired in 2021 during the previous BJP-led government’s tenure. This allegedly caused a Rs. 55.80 crore loss to the state.
On July 26, Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot issued a show cause notice to Siddaramaiah. Although Karnataka’s Council of Ministers passed a resolution on August 1 urging the Governor to withdraw the notice, the Governor sanctioned proceedings against Siddaramaiah under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, on August 16.
READ PREVIOUS REPORTS ON MUDA SCAM
