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Lokayukta to probe charges against Karnataka CM
A Bengaluru court has ordered an investigation into Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah over land allotment irregularities, compounding his legal troubles.
A Bengaluru court on Wednesday directed the Lokayukta to investigate Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah in connection with land allotment involving the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (Muda), compounding the trouble for the senior leader a day after the high court approved the governor’s nod to probe him.
Special court judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat issued directions to take up investigation under section 156 (3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure that gives a magistrate the power to order an investigation into a cognisable offence, and directed the police to file the investigation report by December 24.
“Acting under Section 156(3) of Code of Criminal Procedure, the jurisdictional police i.e., Superintendent of Police, Karnataka Lokayukta, Mysuru is hereby directed to register the case, investigate and to file a report as contemplated under Section 173 of CrPC, within a period 3 months from today,” the court said in its order.
This is the second setback in two days for Siddaramaiah, who is serving his second term as chief minister of Karnataka after winning a sweeping mandate in 2023. On Tuesday, the Karnataka high court rejected his petition challenging governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s decision to permit his prosecution in connection with the Muda case.
The case involves allegations of irregularities in a 2020 land allotment to Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi.
The chief minister put up a brave face. “It has come to my attention through the media that the special court for elected representatives has ordered an investigation by the Mysuru Lokayukta. I will provide a detailed response after reviewing the full copy of the order. I am ready to face the investigation and continue the legal fight,” he posted on X.
“As I said yesterday, I repeat today: there is no question of fearing an investigation; I am determined to face everything. After discussing with legal experts, I will decide the next course of action,” he added.
The activists hailed the court order.
“FIR will have to be registered as per the order. Mysuru Lokayukta jurisdiction will register an FIR and do the investigation,” advocate Vasant Kumar, representing petitioner activist Snehamayi Krishna, told reporters. “ The chief minister must resign so the Lokayukta can investigate transparently,” he added.
The special court’s order compounds the problems for Siddaramaiah, who swept to power in 2023 on a promise of clean governance and after painting the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime as corrupt.
Karnataka is one of only three states governed by the Congress, which has attempted to put up a united face and blamed the charges on political vendetta.
Hours after the order, members of BJP’s youth wing marched towards the CM residence and demanded his resignation. “I welcome the order of the special court. I demand the CM to hand over the investigation to the CBI and tender his resignation immediately. Tomorrow [Thursday], BJP and JD(S) will hold a protest at the Vidhana Soudha premises [seeking his resignation], state BJP chief BY Vijayendra said.
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched on the controversy. “It has only been two years, and just look at the Congress government in Karnataka. The chief minister is facing accusations of a land scam. When he appeared in the high court, he was dismissed. The court stated that a proper investigation is necessary in this matter,” he said in a rally in Haryana.
The petition against the chief minister was filed by activists TJ Abraham, Snehamai Krishna and Pradeep Kumar SP, who alleged that Parvathi received 14 developed plots in a prime location in Mysuru as compensation for a three-acre plot of land, which they claim was excessive under MUDA’s 50:50 scheme.
On August 16, the governor granted sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, enabling the prosecution of Siddaramaiah in connection with the alleged offences mentioned in the petition.
On August 19, Siddaramaiah approached the high court, challenging the governor’s sanction.
But on Tuesday, the high court sided with Gehlot.
Justice M Nagaprasanna, who delivered the verdict, upheld the governor’s decision, explaining that under certain exceptional conditions, the governor can act independently, as per the provisions of the Constitution.
“The governor under normal circumstances has to act on the aid and advice of the council of ministers as under Article 163 of the Constitution but can take independent decisions if exceptional circumstances arise. The present case projects one such exception,” the court observed.
“The approval under 17A is mandatory in the fact situation. It nowhere requires a police officer to seek approval in a private complainant under 200 or 223 of BNSS. It is the duty of the complainants to seek such approval,” the court clarified, rejecting the government’s argument that sanction for prosecution should only be requested by a police officer, not a private party.
The case pertains to a land deal when a 3.16 acre land plot was gifted to Parvathi by her brother, Mallikarjuna Swamy in 2010. Muda allegedly illegally developed the land between 2011-13, following which Parvathi , in 2014, sought compensation. In 2017, Muda agreed to compensate her and in 2022, she was given 14 plots. The complainants argued these 14 plots – in the heart of Karnataka’s second-largest city – were far more valuable than the original land, under MUDA’s 50:50 scheme. After the controversy came to light, Siddaramiah offered to return the 14 plots if his wife was given ₹62 crore as compensation.
The Muda 50:50 scheme, announced in 2016, entailed offering 50% of the developed sites as compensation to the original land owners. The controversial scheme was scrapped in 2023.
