• By Mayukh Debnath
  • Fri, 27 Sep 2024 06:12 PM (IST)
  • Source:ANI
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MUDA Case: The Lokayukta police has registered an FIR against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others in connection with the alleged MUDA scam. His wife, Parvathi, and brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy are also among those named in the FIR. Sections 351 (Assault), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 340 (Wrongful confinement), 120B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) and other provisions of the IPC have been invoked against the accused.

The Lokayukta Police had on Wednesday received directions from a Special Court in Begaluru to initiate a probe against CM Siddaramaiah. The Bengaluru court's order came a day after the Karnataka High Court upheld Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's sanction of prosecution against the Chief Minister in connection with alleged irregularities in the allotment of land by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

COMPLAINANT CASTS DOUBT ON LOKAYUKTA

On Friday, RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna, one of the complainants in the MUDA case moved a petition before the High Court, seeking directions for a CBI probe against CM Siddaramaiah. The petition is likely to be taken up by the court on Monday (September 30). Krishna mentioned in his petition that he does not believe that Lokayukta can ensure a transparent probe as it comes under the state government.

This came a day after the Siddaramaiah-led government withdrew the general consent for CBI to carry out investigations in the state. While announcing the decision, the Karnataka government had said that the move was an expression of its "concerns about the misuse" of the probe agency. 

Given its timing, the state government also sought to pre-empt allegations about the move being influenced by the recent developments related to the MUDA "scam". "They are biased. That’s why we are taking the decision. It's not because of the MUDA case. We have taken this decision to control them (CBI) from taking the wrong path," said Karnataka Law Minister HK Patil.

(With inputs from agencies)