Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been summoned by the Lokayukta police for questioning regarding the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case, set for November 6, according to official sources. This follows an earlier questioning of his wife, Parvathi B M, on October 25, who is also implicated in the case. A senior Lokayukta official stated, "We asked him to appear on Wednesday morning".
The Chief Minister faces allegations of irregularities concerning the allotment of 14 sites to his wife by MUDA. Addressing the Lokayukta summons, Siddaramaiah, while in Haveri district, confirmed his intention to comply, saying, "I will go", as reported by news agency PTI.
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MUDA Scam Case
Named in the FIR registered by the Mysuru Lokayukta police on September 27, alongside Siddaramaiah, are his wife Parvathi BM, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, and Devaraju, from whom Swamy purchased land and subsequently gifted it to Parvathi. Both Swamy and Devaraju have already testified before the Lokayukta police.
On October 24, Siddaramaiah filed an appeal with the division bench of the High Court, contesting a previous ruling by a single judge that had negatively impacted him in relation to the MUDA site allotment case. The bench, led by Justice M Nagaprasanna, dismissed the Chief Minister's petition on September 24, stating that the Governor's approval for an investigation did not exhibit a lack of application of mind.
Siddaramaiah challenged the legality of the Governor's sanction for the probe into the alleged allotment irregularities involving the 14 sites in a prime locality. Following the High Court's decision, a Special Court promptly directed the Lokayukta police in Mysuru to investigate the matter and mandated the submission of an investigation report by December 24. This order was issued in response to a complaint filed by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna.
In a significant move, Parvathi has requested MUDA to cancel the allotment of the 14 sites, a request that MUDA has accepted. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) also filed an enforcement case information report (ECIR) on September 30 to pursue action against the Chief Minister and others, acknowledging the Lokayukta FIR.
The MUDA site allotment case revolves around allegations that Parvathi was allotted 14 compensatory sites in a high-value area of Mysuru (Vijayanagar Layout 3rd and 4th stages), which were worth more than the land she had given up, acquired by MUDA. The MUDA allotted these plots to her under a controversial 50:50 ratio scheme, which granted 50% of developed land to individuals who lost undeveloped land during residential layout formations. Allegations have surfaced that Parvathi had no legal title to the 3.16 acres of land at survey number 464 in Kasare village, Kasaba hobli of Mysuru taluk.