MUDA case: K'taka Lokayukta to submit status quo report to court

Bengaluru, Nov 25 Karnataka Lokayukta probing the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is likely to submit the status quo report to the High Court.

The High Court has directed the investigating officers to submit the latest report by November 26.

Sources said that Mysuru Lokayukta Superintendent T.J. Udesh will personally submit the report, adding that Lokayukta SP Udesh will meet senior officers at the Lokayukta headquarters and later make the submission. The Lokayukta sleuths are submitting a report containing more than 400 pages.

The report comprises detailed information about the investigation of the prime accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the second accused CM's wife Parvathi, the third accused, CM's brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and the fourth accused, land owner J. Devaraju.

The report also contains the details of the questioning of the petitioner Snehamayi Krishna. The details of the survey report of 3.16 acres of land bearing survey number 464 in Kesare village and survey of allotted 14 sites in upscale Vijayanagar locality, sources stated.

Sources added that the report further contains details of the inquiry of the previous minister B.N. Bache Gowda, former MUDA Commissioner D.B. Natesh and others.

Mysuru Lokayukta SP Udesh will be present in the court on Tuesday (November 26) with the public prosecutor and he will also answer the queries by the court.

On Friday, Karnataka BJP chief B.Y. Vijayendra alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is abusing power to influence the investigation in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case, in which he is the prime accused.

The MUDA case is being investigated by the Karnataka Lokayukta and the Special Court has mandated the Lokayukta police to complete the probe and submit the report by December 24.

The High Court sought a status report on the probe by November 26.

The Karnataka High Court looking into the plea filed by petitioner Snehamayi Krishna, an RTI activist, seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the 2021 MUDA land allotment of 14 housing sites to CM Siddaramaiah’s wife as compensation for the acquisition of a 3.16-acre plot.

Parvati Siddaramaiah later returned the 14 housing sites to MUDA.

The Karnataka Lokayukta police had questioned Siddaramaiah on November 6 and registered an FIR in the matter based on the directions of a local court after the Karnataka High Court upheld the sanction accorded by Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot for an investigation into the case.

Source: IANS