MUDA case: Special Court orders probe by Mysuru Lokayukta against CM Siddaramaiah, sets the stage for FIR against him

Special Court orders Lokayukta police probe against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah in MUDA case, intensifying calls for resignation.

A Special Court here on Wednesday (September 25, 2024) ordered a Lokayukta police probe against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case, setting the stage for filing of an FIR against him.

The order of the Special Court Judge, Santhosh Gajanan Bhat, came a day after the High Court upheld the sanction granted by the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah on the allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife B M Parvathi by MUDA.

The Special Court, exclusively to deal with criminal cases related to former and elected MPs/MLAs, issued the order directing the Lokayukta police in Mysuru to initiate an investigation on the complaint filed by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna.

The Court issued directions to take up the probe under section 156 (3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) (that gives a magistrate the power to order an investigation into a cognisable offense) and file the investigation report by December 24.

The HC had also vacated its August 19 interim order directing the Special Court to defer the decision on complaints against the Chief Minister, giving the green signal for ordering a probe.

It had dismissed Siddaramaiah's petition challenging the legality of the Governor's August 16 order granting approval for investigation under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988.

Reacting to the Special Court order, Siddaramaiah reiterated that he was ready to face an investigation. “Already I have said that I am ready to face an investigation. I am not afraid of a probe,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here. “I am ready for a legal fight. I had said this yesterday and I am reiterating it today as well.”