Chief Minister Siddaramaiah moves Karnataka High Court against sanction granted by Governor for his prosecution in MUDA ‘scam’ 

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot had granted sanction on August 17 on the applications filed by two Bengaluru-based social activists Pradeep Kumar S.P. and T.J. Abraham, and Mysuru-based Snehamayi Krishna.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah moved the High Court of Karnataka on August 19 challenging the legality of sanction granted by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot for a probe against him under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act for alleged illegalities in allocation of sites to his wife by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). 

Senior Advocate Ravivarma Kumar mentioned about the filling of the petition before a bench of Justice Hemant Chandangoudar and requested an urgent hearing.

Justice Chandangoudar replied that it would be heard either at 2.30 p.m. on August 19 or on August 20, subject to the orders to be passed by the Chief Justice on the administrative side. The CJ has to assign the petition to a particular bench, based on the classification of the petition.

Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot had granted sanction on August 17 on the applications filed by two Bengaluru-based social activists Pradeep Kumar S.P. and T.J. Abraham, and Mysuru-based Snehamayi Krishna.

The sanction was granted under Section 17A [for investigation] of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 218 [for prosecution] of the Bharatiya Nagarika Suraksha Samhitha, 2023, ‘for the commission of the alleged offences mentioned in the petitions’.