Lokayukta police files report in Muda case
On Wednesday, the Lokayukta Police gave clean chit to Siddaramaiah and his wife and recommended a local court to cancel the case because there are no grounds to file a charge sheet or proceed with a trial.
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Lokayukta submitted a 11,000-page report in connection with the Mysore Urban Development Authority (Muda) land allocation case to a court in Bengaluru on Thursday, a day after the ombudsman police gave chief minister Siddaramaiah and his wife a clean chit in the case citing “want of evidence”.
A team led by superintendent of police Udesh submitted 27 volumes of documents to the People’s Representative Court in Bengaluru that exclusively deals with criminal cases related to former and incumbent MPs/MLAs in Bengaluru. “The investigation is progressing as per procedure. The documents submitted form a crucial part of the enquiry,” he said.
HT reported on January 23 that the Lokayukta was set to clear the chief minister and his wife Parvathi of all charges in the case.
On Wednesday, the Lokayukta Police gave clean chit to Siddaramaiah and his wife and recommended a local court to cancel the case because there are no grounds to file a charge sheet or proceed with a trial.
As part of the procedure, the petitioner in the case, activist Snehamayi Krishna, was issued a notice on Wednesday informing him of the decision to close the case. A copy of the letter, seen by HT, states that the Karnataka Lokayukta Police concluded that allegations against all the accused (A1 to A4) could not be substantiated due to a lack of supporting evidence. “The case has been categorised as civil in nature, and no criminal investigation is warranted,” the letter said.
The FIR, registered under case number 11/2024, listed Siddaramaiah as the first accused (A1), his wife BN Parvathi as the second accused (A2), his relative Mallikarjuna Swamy as the third accused (A3) and one of the original landowners D Devaraju involved in the transaction as the fourth accused (A4)
The letter to Krishna noted that the allegations stemmed from either misinterpretation of the law or lacked substantial proof to proceed with legal action. “If you wish to contest the findings, you may file an objection before the designated magistrate within one week of receiving this notice,” it added.
Despite recommending closure of the case, the Lokayukta Police indicated in the letter to Krishna that further inquiries would be conducted regarding compensatory sites allocated in a 50:50 ratio by Muda between 2016 and 2024.
“Since the allegations against Accused 1 to Accused 4 could not be substantiated due to a lack of evidence, the final report has been submitted to the Hon’ble Court. However, an additional investigation will be conducted regarding the allegations of compensatory site allocations by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (Muda) in a 50:50 ratio between 2016 and 2024. Based on this, a supplementary final report will be submitted to the Hon’ble Court under Section 173(8) of the Criminal Procedure Code,” the letter said.
The case revolves around a three-acre plot in Mysuru’s Devanur 3rd Stage, which Siddaramaiah claims was gifted to his wife Parvathi in 1998. In 2014, Muda acquired the land for development without obtaining permission, prompting Parvathi to apply for compensation. As a result, she was allocated 14 residential plots, totaling 38,284 square feet in some prime locations with a valuation exceeding ₹8 crore — raising concerns that the value was disproportionate as compared to the original land. The petitioner, Krishna, alleged that the exchange unfairly benefited the family.
In September 2024, the Karnataka high court allowed a Lokayukta investigation into the land allotment. On November 5 last year, the court directed the Lokayukta Police to submit a status report following Krishna’s petition, which sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.
On February 7, the Karnataka high court declined to transfer the investigation into the alleged irregularities in Muda’s allotment involving Parvathi to the federal agency, ruling that the case would remain under the purview of the Lokayukta Police.
Justice M Nagaprasanna, while dismissing the petition seeking a CBI probe, observed that there was no evidence to suggest that the ongoing investigation was biased or compromised. “The material on record nowhere indicates that the investigation conducted by the Lokayukta is partisan, lopsided, or shoddy for this court to refer the matter to the CBI for further investigation or reinvestigation. The petition would necessarily meet its dismissal and is accordingly dismissed,” his order stated at the time.
The BJP, however, expressed scepticism over the report. “We have full confidence in the Lokayukta, but the police officers investigating this case were transferred and appointed by the same Siddaramaiah. We cannot expect a fair inquiry. If Siddaramaiah wants to prove his innocence, he should hand over the case to the CBI or allow a High Court-monitored investigation,” senior BJP leader and Union minister Pralhad Joshi said.
Welcoming the findings of the Lokayukta report, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said: “From the beginning, when the BJP and JD(S) held their padayatra from Bengaluru to Mysuru, I had said these allegations were politically driven. Siddaramaiah had no involvement—his signature was not there, and his family had merely claimed their legal entitlement, as anyone would. There was no specific demand for site allotment.”
He added: “There should be evidence to file a case, but there was none. The Lokayukta has done its duty. If the complainants have objections, let them fight legally. The Lokayukta is an independent body, and the Chief Minister has no control over its decisions. Any appointment to the body requires the approval of the Lokayukta.”
