Karnataka High Court Upholds Governor's Sanction to Prosecute CM Siddaramaiah in MUDA Scam Case

 In a significant setback for Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the state's High Court has upheld Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot's sanction to prosecute him in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam case . The court's verdict, delivered by Justice M Nagaprasanna, dismissed Siddaramaiah's plea challenging the sanction.

The MUDA Scam: A Brief Overview

The MUDA scam involves allegations of irregularities in land allotments to Siddaramaiah's wife, Parvathi. It is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value compared to the location of her originally acquired land . The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme, instead of 3.16 acres of her land, where MUDA developed a residential layout.

After Karnataka High Court dismisses Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s plea, challenging probe in MUDA scam, the Congress leader has no option but to step down.

The Governor had ordered probe on RTI activist TJ Abraham’s complaint. pic.twitter.com/Qxw5UmaXsD

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 24, 2024

Key Points from the Court's Verdict

• The court held that the complainants were justified in pursuing the complaint and seeking approval from the Governor ².
• The Governor's sanction was valid, as it allowed for the start of a probe into whether Siddaramaiah can be linked to the alleged land allotments to his wife ².
• The court rejected Siddaramaiah's argument that the Governor's sanction was mala fide and taken without application of mind .

Reactions and Implications

The BJP has demanded Siddaramaiah's resignation, alleging his involvement in the scam resulted in a loss exceeding Rs 3,800 crore ¹. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has called for a CBI investigation into the issue. However, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has rejected the accusations, asserting that all such issues occurred during the BJP's tenure ¹.

Next Steps

With the court's verdict, the prosecution of Siddaramaiah is likely to proceed. The case's outcome will have significant implications for Karnataka politics and the Chief Minister's future.