MUDA site allotment: Karnataka High Court notice to CM Siddaramaiah and others on petition seeking transfer of probe to CBI

The High Court, in its September 24 verdict, had said that the investigation on the complaint against Mr. Siddaramaiah and others is undoubtedly necessary while dismissing his petition challenging the permission granted by the Governor of Karnataka for conducting a probe against him under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and other laws.

The High Court of Karnataka on November 5 (Tuesday) ordered issue of notice to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Central and State governments, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Lokayukta police and others on a petition seeking transfer to the CBI the investigation of the criminal case registered against Mr. Siddaramaiah, his wife and others in the alleged scam in allotment of Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) sites.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the order on a petition filed by Snehamayi Krishna. On September 25, the Special Court of Sessions for criminal cases against former and present MPs and MLAs had ordered a probe though the Superintendent of Police, Lokayukta Police in Mysuru, into the alleged illegalities in allotment of 14 sites to Parvathi, wife of Mr. Siddaramaiah, by the MUDA. the Special Court of Sessions for criminal cases against former and present MPs and MLAs ordered the probe on the basis of a complaint by Snehamayi Krishna.z

The High Court directed the Lokayukta police to submit details of the probe conducted till November 25 while adjourning further hearing on the petition till November 26.

Appearing for the petitioner, Senior Advocate K.G. Raghavan told the court that the ‘investigation is not being done in the manner that public confidence be restored in respect of an investigation in a matter of this kind. That is [restoring public confidence] the whole object of the investigation, and not necessarily that result of the investigation must be one way or the other. The investigation itself as a process must instil public confidence.”

“Mr. Siddaramaiah, being the CM, yields immense power and influence over the State departments, especially State’s investigating agencies such as the police authorities and the Karnataka Lokayukta Police. Such being the situation, any investigation undertaken by either of the agencies into the allegations made against the CM, would not be an impartial investigation,” it has been claimed in the petition.

It has also been claimed in the petition that Mr. Siddaramaiah had made several statements, reported in various media, that his ‘political party [Congress] and the party’s high command, the State Government, the State Cabinet, and the entire system is supporting him in this case. And this is apparent from several incidents and media reports’.

The High Court, in its September 24 verdict, had said that the investigation on the complaint against Mr. Siddaramaiah and others is undoubtedly necessary while dismissing his petition challenging the permission granted by the Governor of Karnataka for conducting a probe against him under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and other laws.