MUDA land 'scam': Lokayukta Police registers FIR against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

The Lokayukta Police filed an FIR on Friday against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others in connection with the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment 'scam', officials said. The FIR been filed by the Mysuru Lokayukta under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 351, 420, 340, 09, and 120B among others, they said. The FIR mentions CM Siddaramaiah, his wife, brother-in-law and others as accused in the case, they added.

Earlier in the day, Snehamayi Krishna, one of the complainants in the MUDA scam, filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court, seeking the transfer of the case from the Lokayukta to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The matter is expected to be heard on September 30. This comes after the Special Court in Bengaluru passed an order directing Karnataka Lokyukta to conduct an investigation against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the allegation of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites worth Rs 56 crore to his wife Parvathi by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). 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.

Earlier today, Karnataka CM's Financial Advisor Basvaraj Rayareddi said that there is no need for the resignation of CM Siddaramaiah. "There is no need for the resignation of CM Siddaramaiah... What wrong has he committed? The High Court has ordered an inquiry. There is a difference between inquiry and prosecution. Anyone can inquire under 17A of the PCA... It is a political game, it is not a corruption case at all. It might be a procedure lapse. But what is the CM's role in this? If anyone has committed a procedure lapse, it is MUDA only... There is no need to demand the resignation of the Chief Minister," Rayareddi said. CM Siddaramaiah earlier reiterated that he will not resign over the alleged MUDA land allotment scam.

He said that the opposition is making the demand for his resignation in order to destabilise his government. "I will not resign. HD Kumaraswamy is a minister; he is on bail after an FIR was lodged against him. He is a minister in the Narendra Modi government. It's a politics by them to destabilise our government; that is why they are doing it," Siddaramaiah told reporters here. On Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah's statement, BJP leader CT Ravi said that the whole Congress is scared because they have done corruption. "They should not be afraid of the investigation if they are honest... They revoked (the general consent for the CBI to investigate a state) because they are corrupt... They are scared because corruption charges have come upon them... There is a difference between 'use' and 'misuse'... Did we ask them to do corruption?... The truth comes out when there is an investigation and they are afraid of that," he added. It is alleged that MUDA illegally allotted 14 sites to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife in the prime location of Mysuru city. Earlier on Thursday, the Karnataka government withdrew open consent to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a probe in the state. (ANI)