MP/MLAs court orders probe against Siddaramaiah in MUDA 'scam' case

The Karnataka Lokayukta Mysuru has been directed to take up investigation under CrPC section 156 (3).

Bengaluru: A special court for cases involving elected representatives on Wednesday ordered an investigation against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathy BM and others in the MUDA sites allotment case.

Special court judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat directed the jurisdictional Lokayukta police in Mysuru to initiate an investigation under CrPC section 156 (3) on the complaint filed by Snehamayi Krishna, a social activist from Mysuru. The Lokayukta police are likely to register an FIR after receipt of the copy of the order.

The special court has directed the Superintendent of Police, Karnataka Lokayukta, Mysuru to register the case, investigate and file a report within three months.

The order stated that the probe would be conducted for offences punishable under IPC sections 120B, 166, 403, 406, 420, 426, 465, 468, 340, 351 sections 9 and 13 of the Prevention Of Corruption (PC) Act, sections 3, 53 and 54 of the Prohibition Of Benami Property Transactions Act and sections 3 and 4 of the Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition Act. The matter has been posted to December 24.

On Tuesday, the Karnataka High court upheld the approval granted by Governor Taawarchand Gehlot to probe as to how and why the rules were bent when Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) allotted 14 posh sites to Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathy.

In his complaint before the special court, Snehamayi Krishna has named Siddaramaiah, Parvathy, her brother Mallikarjuna Swamy, Devaraju and others.

Devaraju had sold the land to the extent of 3.16 acres in Kesare village in Kasaba hobli, Mysuru taluk in favour of Mallikarjuna Swamy in 2004. The complaint alleged that the land was acquired as a part of the final notification for the Devanuru III phase and a compensation amount of Rs 3,56,000 was also deposited in the jurisdictional court in 1997.

In 2010, Mallikarjuna Swamy transferred the land to his sister Parvathy by way of a gift deed.

The complaint alleged that Devaraju could not have sold the land as he had relinquished his rights over the land in favour of his brother Mylarappa.

In addition, at the time he sold the land to Mallikarjuna in 2004, areas were demarcated for parks and other amenities and 19 sites had already been distributed to the allottees.

Despite this, the land was converted to non-agricultural purposes on July 15, 2005, by creating fake site inspection reports, concealing the development of sites in the land, the complaint said.

After Siddaramaiah became the chief minister in 2013, Parvathy started filing applications to the MUDA requesting allotment of alternative sites under the 50:50 ratio.

Accordingly, 14 sites worth Rs 56 crore in prime locations of Mysuru city were allotted in favour of Parvathy and sale deeds were executed on January 12, 2022.

The High Court while dismissing Siddaramaiah’s petition had noted that not a single instance is shown where a person who has relinquished land in Kesare Grama has been granted compensatory land in the upscale area Vijaynagar, 3rd stage in Mysuru city.

The High Court had further said that an investigation was required for the acts between 1996 and 2022 since in this period Siddaramaiah was at the helm of affairs; a lawmaker twice; and the Chief Minister once.