FIR Filed Against Karnataka Chief Minister in MUDA Land Scam

The Lokayukta police in Karnataka have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, following an order from a special court in Bengaluru. The FIR, which concerns alleged irregularities in land allotments by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), also names Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi, and other accused individuals, including Mallikarjuna Swamy, Siddaramaiah’s brother-in-law, and Devaraju, the original land seller.

The FIR comes amid accusations of misuse of authority during Siddaramaiah’s previous term as Chief Minister. Allegations suggest deviations from the norms in the allocation of alternative sites by MUDA. A court directive prompted a Lokayukta police investigation to apply measures from several legal provisions, including the Indian Penal Code, Prevention of Corruption Act, Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, and Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition Act. The probe must be submitted within three months.

Specifically, the case includes charges under various sections of laws designed to prevent corruption and misuse of power. The involved legal sections address criminal conspiracy, public servant disobedience, fraud, criminal breach of trust, and forgery.

Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot had already raised concerns about Siddaramaiah’s involvement, ordering an investigation under allegations of irregular allotment of 14 plots to B M Parvathi by MUDA. These plots, situated in premium localities, were reportedly linked to land originally acquired by MUDA for development purposes. Critics claim that the acquired sites’ value heightened due to their strategic locations, challenging the legitimacy of the transfers.

Siddaramaiah continues to deny any wrongdoing, asserting his transparency in the transactions and attributing the allegations to political maneuvering by opposition parties. He maintains, “I have done no wrong. This is for the first time a political case is being registered against me. This is a political case, please underline,” reinforcing his decision not to resign and promising to contest the charges legally.

The case has incited political tensions, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanding Siddaramaiah’s resignation. The BJP claims that both the Chief Minister and his wife benefited disproportionately from the MUDA land allocations. Their allegations estimate the scandal involves illegal transactions of approximately Rs 4,000 crore.

As Siddaramaiah visits Mysuru for a scheduled district review, the FIR has heightened political unrest, leading to demonstrations by BJP workers. The situation escalated as police detained several protesters in Mysuru amid growing calls for the Chief Minister’s resignation.

Meanwhile, Snehamayi Krishna, the complainant who originally alleged the irregularities, has approached the High Court of Karnataka, seeking to transfer the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The petition asks for judiciary oversight to ensure impartiality in the proceedings.