MUDA scam: Petition filed in court against CM Siddaramaiah’s wife, 11 others

Mysuru (Karnataka), Nov 27 Amid the ongoing investigation by the Karnataka Lokayukta and Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, a civil petition has been filed in the local court against CM Siddaramaiah’s wife D.M. Parvathi and 11 others in connection with the ownership of the land gifted to her.

The petition was filed in front of the Seventh Additional Senior Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) in Mysuru by Jamuna, niece of the fourth accused in the MUDA scam and land owner J. Deveraju. Jamuna is the daughter of Devaraju’s elder brother Mylaraiah.

Jamuna has stated in her petition that the land gifted to CM Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathy does not belong to Devaraju. She claimed that her father, the late Mylaraiah, was the real owner. CM’s brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy had purchased the land from Devaraju and gifted it to his sister, CM’s wife Parvathi.

The petitioner, Jamuna stated that Devaraju, her uncle, had sold the land fraudulently to Mallikarjuna Swamy. The land was in the name of her father Mylaraiah.

She alleged that Devaraju took their signatures from her mother and brother Manjunatha Swamy telling them that the property ownership would be transferred into their name. Later, it was sold fraudulently. “We need compensation and have approached the court in this regard,” she stated.

Petitioner Jamuna speaking to the media stated that they came to know about their land being sold to CM Siddaramaiah’s brother-in-law through the media and later lodged a case in the court.

Jamuna’s brother Manujnatha Swamy has stated that Devaraju cheated his family and sold their land claiming it as his property. Hence, the case has been filed in court against his uncle, the accused number four in the MUDA case Devaraju, the third accused, CM’s brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and the second accused, CM’s wife Parvathi and others.

"This property was inherited by us from our father and it was sold fraudulently to CM Siddaramaiah’s family," he claimed.

The case in this regard was filed on October 21 and the first hearing of the case took place on the day and then on November 20. The next hearing of the case is fixed on January 10, 2025.

CM’s wife Parvathi is named as the 10th respondent. The MUDA Commissioner and the District Commissioner of Mysuru district are also named as respondents in the case.

The MUDA case involves the alleged illegal allotment of 14 plots/sites to CM Siddaramaiah's family. The allotment was made following the acquisition of the disputed 3.16 acres of land at Kesare village on the outskirts of Mysuru.

It also includes alleged illegal allotment of thousands of sites to supporters of CM Siddaramaiah and other politicians.

The Karnataka High Court is 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.

Parvathi Siddaramaiah later returned the 14 housing sites to MUDA.

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 has also sought a status report on the probe.

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