MUDA scam: Karnataka High Court to decide on Siddaramaiah’s involvement as Lokayukta submits final report – Karnataka News
The Lokayukta, today, submitted in Karnataka High Court’s Dharwad Bench its report on the investigation into the corruption in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment case. The high court, in the previous hearing, gave the Lokayukta time till January 28 to submit its comprehensive investigation report.
The report, prepared by the Additional Director General of Police and Inspector General of Police of Lokayukta, was built upon a preliminary report submitted earlier by Lokayukta Superintendent of Police TJ Udesh. It reportedly highlighted crucial aspects of the case, incorporating statements from over 25 individuals recorded under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
EVIDENCE AND KEY DETAILS
The report focused on irregularities in site allotments, including 14 sites in Vijayanagara and 3.16 acres of land in Kesare village in Mysuru taluk of the district.
Statements from the accused—including first accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife BM Parvathi who is the second accused, her brother BM Mallikarjunaswamy and J Devaraju, who sold the land to Mallikarjunaswamy, the third and fourth accused in the case respectively—have been recorded.
The investigation, covering activities from 1994 to 2024, includes evidence such as audio and video recordings, forensic science laboratory (FSL) reports, hard disks, CDs, and pen drives.
It also featured key documents, including RTC records, land conversion papers, ownership transfers, and correspondence records.
ALLEGATIONS AND SCOPE
The case alleges misuse of power and irregularities in land and site allotments, implicating former commissioners, chairpersons, engineers, urban planners, MLAs, MLCs, and the then Additional Deputy Commissioner. The court is expected to decide Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s role based on the evidence and statements compiled in the report.
Since the irregularities in the MUDA land allotment came to light, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular) condemned the corruption. Opposition leaders demanded the ouster of Siddaramaiah and criticised the Lokayukta’s inquiry, alleging mishandling of the case.
