Court orders probe by Lokayukta police against CM Siddaramaiah, sets the stage for FIR against him

BENGALURU: A Special Court here on Wednesday ordered a Lokayukta police probe against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case, setting the stage for filing of an FIR against him.

The order of the Special Court Judge, Santhosh Gajanan Bhat, came a day after the High Court upheld the sanction granted by the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah on the allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife B M Parvathi by MUDA.

The Special Court exclusively to deal with criminal cases related to former and elected MPs/MLAs issued the order directing the Lokayukta police in Mysuru to initiate an investigation on the complaint filed by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna.

The Court issued directions to take up the probe under section 156 (3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) (that gives a magistrate the power to order an investigation into a cognisable offense.) and file the investigation report by December 24.

The HC had also vacated its August 19 interim order directing the Special Court to defer the decision on complaints against the Chief Minister, giving the green signal for ordering a probe.

It had dismissed Siddaramaiah's petition challenging the legality of the Governor's August 16 order granting approval for investigation under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988.

Reacting to the Special Court order, Siddaramaiah reiterated that he was ready to face an investigation.

"Already I have said that I am ready to face an investigation. I am not afraid of a probe," Siddaramaiah told reporters here. "I am ready for a legal fight. I had said this yesterday and I am reiterating it today as well."

Home Minister G Parameshwara said Lokayukta police is an independent body. "It is not under anyone's mercy, they will investigate independently."

"...will react once the order copy comes. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said that he is ready for any probe....what investigation and other things let the order come, and let's see what (the court) has defined in the order," he said.

Parameshwara chose not to directly respond to a question regarding a statement made by Siddaramaiah seeking BJP leader and former CM B S Yediyurappa's resignation during a "similar situation" in the past, and said "let's see what's in the order copy."

Meanwhile, the BJP once again demanded Siddaramaiah's resignation and asked him to cooperate with the probe.

State BJP President B Y Vijayendra said: "the CM has said that he is ready for any probe, but has questioned why he should resign. Siddaramaiah seems to have forgotten what he preached as Leader of Opposition to the then Chief Minister Yediyurappa. He had asked Yediyurappa to resign for fair and impartial probe when the accused person is at the helm of affairs."

"The Court might have asked Lokayukta police to probe, but we urge the CM -- before he resigns -- that he should order the investigation to be handed over to independent agency CBI, for free and impartial probe,", he said.

The opposition BJP and JD(S) in Karnataka on Wednesday also sought to step up its demand for Chief Minister's resignation as they tried to lay siege to his residence.

Holding posters, placards and raising slogans, members of BJP Yuva Morcha marched towards "Cauvery" but the police thwarted their attempt, took them into preventive custody and whisked them away in a bus.

Leaders and workers of the JD(S), an NDA partner, headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, staged a demonstration at the Freedom Park here before proceeding to "Cauvery" but were stopped by police.

Complainant Snehamayi Krishna hailed the Special Court's order and said, after filing of the FIR, he would appeal to the High Court to hand over the case to CBI.

In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been "acquired" by the MUDA.

The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where it developed a residential layout.

Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts. It is alleged that Parvathi had no legal title over this 3.16 acres of land at survey number 464 of Kasare village, Kasaba hobli of Mysuru taluk.