Governor gives nod to prosecute CM in Muda case

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot (inset) on Saturday sanctioned prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (Muda) ‘scam’.

The case pertains to Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvati being compensated with 14 plots, allegedly of far greater in Mysuru city in lieu of a plot she lost to Muda on the outskirts of the city.

The Opposition claims there were scores of cases wherein bigwigs had cost MUDA Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore. The Governor's secretariat wrote to three complainants – Pradeep Kumar SP, TJ Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna – on the basis of which prosecution has been granted.

Charges were framed against the CM under section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and section 218 of Bharithiya Nagarika Suraksha Samhitha (BNSS), 2023. The Cabinet on Saturday called a 5 pm meeting and plans to rally around Siddaramaiah.

Gehlot had issued a show cause notice to Siddaramaiah on July 26 asking him to reply to the allegations against him. On August 1, the Cabinet “strongly advised” the Governor to not go ahead, calling it “gross misuse of the Constitutional Office”.

The Cabinet even accused the first complainant TJ Abraham of having a history of “blackmail and extortion”. Cabinet advice irrational: Gehlot Gehlot explained his decision, claiming the advice he received from the Cabinet was “irrational”.

He pointed out that the State government itself accepted there might be irregularities in MUDA by appointing two probe committees, one under IAS officer Venkatachalapathy and another under a retired High Court Judge PN Desai.

“It is very necessary that a neutral, objective and non- partisan investigation be conducted. I am prima facie satisfied that the allegations and the supporting materials disclose commission of offences,” Gehlot said.

WHAT NEXT FOR CM SIDDU?

CM Siddaramaiah can choose to file a plea in a court. Others believe that if the CM believes the case against him is “weak”, he can wait for the court to strike it down.

A retired district court judge from Solapur in Maharashtra, who requested anonymity, told News Trail that CM can file a plea, arguing that the Governor cannot make a “sudden” decision to grant permission for his prosecution based on a petition filed by an activist.

The judge added that the CM should first be given a certain period for document verification before any such permission is granted.

MUDA ADO ABOUT SOMETHING?

The alleged scam in the MUDA is rooted in the 50:50 scheme under which land losers are compensated. The scheme, which dates back to the reign of the BJP State government (November 2020), compensates land losers with either 50 per cent of the developed sites or alternative plots.

The Opposition claims scores of people received alternative plots in areas where land had greater worth guidance value, resulting in losses of over Rs 4,000 crore to MUDA. The BJP and JD(S) alleged CM Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvati received 14 plots of much greater value in Mysuru city’s Vijayanagara locality in lieu of lost land.

The CM’s brother-in-law Mallikarjun had bought 3.16 acres of land in Kesare village outside Mysuru in 2004 and gifted it to his sister in 2010.

Muda took over this plot for a layout Parvati and eventually agreed to provide compensation. In 2021, Parvati was allotted 14 sites amounting to 38,284 square feet in Mysuru’s sought-after Vijayanagara locality.