The time for Lokayukta police to deliver their final report on the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) fraud, which reportedly involved Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his family, has been extended by the Karnataka High Court to January 28, 2025.
By adopting the investigative report on the designated day (December 24, 2024), the district (trial) court would not be permitted to thwart proceedings before the high court, according to the single bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna.
RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna, who complained to the Lokayukta about the MUDA’s distribution of 14 home sites to Siddaramaiah’s wife, was pleading with the high court for a CBI investigation into the MUDA matter. The next hearing has been scheduled by the HC for January 15, 2024.
Senior solicitors Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who were representing the State and Siddaramaiah, respectively, had already stated that they would be objecting to the plea.
As you may remember, on September 24, the High Court denied the CM’s petition against the Governor’s penalty order, opening the door for the trial court proceedings. As a result, the Lokayukta police filed a formal complaint. As a result, the trial court had directed the Lokayukta to look into the MUDA issue and file a FIR.
In addition to appealing Snehamayi Krishna’s request for a CBI investigation before the high court’s single bench, Siddaramaiah petitioned the divisional bench against the single bench ruling, which upheld the governor’s sanction order.
The 14 sites have been voluntarily returned to the MUDA by the CM’s wife.
In a letter to the Lokayukta police, the Enforcement Directorate looking into the money laundering allegations in the MUDA case claimed that MUDA had created extensive anomalies in the land distributions under a 50:50 land compensation plan.
