Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday put up a brave face after a Special Court in Bengaluru passed an order directing Karnataka Lokyukta to conduct an investigation against him on the alleged MUDA land allotment scam.
"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. 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," the Karnataka CM said in a post on X.
The allegation against Siddaramiah was that Mysuru Urban Development Authority illegally allotted 14 sites worth Rs 56 crore to his wife Parvathi.
Karnataka Lokayukta's Mysuru district police will have to conduct the investigation and will submit its report in three months. The Special Court's order came after the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday vacated its interim stay order granted on August 19 directing the court to defer the decision on the complaints against Siddaramaiah.
The order came on the petition of social activist Snehamayi Krishna.
"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.
Advocate Laxmi Ayengar, another lawyer representing Snehamayi Krishna expressed happiness over the Special Court order.
"Extremely happy about the order. Now we have to wait for the Lokayukta to get going on the investigation, waiting for them to register FIR and get started...The Court has ordered the Lokayukta, if they do their duty fairly, I don't think there would be any necessity on our part to seek for a transfer. But if the Lokayukta does not act and it doesn't seem fair, then we would definitely move the Court seeking for a transfer investigation. But at this time, no," she told reporters.
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed Siddaramaiah's petition challenging Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's approval for an investigation into alleged illegalities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority's (MUDA) allotting sites to his wife.
In his judgment, the single judge bench of Justice Nagaprasanna said that the order of sanction for prosecution does not suffer from non-application of mind by the Governor.
It is alleged that MUDA illegally allotted 14 sites to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife in the prime location of Mysuru city. The High Court, in its interim order passed on August 19, had granted a temporary relief to Siddaramaiah by directing a special court in Bengaluru to defer further proceedings and not to take any precipitative action pursuant to the sanction granted by the Governor. (ANI)
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