Karnataka High Court Considers Petitions Challenging MUDA Land Probe
A division bench of the Karnataka High Court held a hearing on Monday to consider petitions filed by former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others against the court's decision to uphold Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's approval for investigating MUDA land allegations.
Key Developments:
- A division bench consisting of Justices Anu Sivaraman and T. Venkatesh Naik presided over the hearing.
- Siddaramaiah's legal team requested a deferment of the inquiry scheduled for August.
- The bench questioned whether the inquiry should be indefinitely postponed.
- Advocate Aditya Narayanan suggested rescheduling the inquiry to the third week of July, which the High Court accepted.
MUDA Land Allegations:
Allegations have been raised against Siddaramaiah's family for allegedly acquiring 3 acres and 16 gunte of land in Mysore's Kesare village, allotting 14 plots valued at approximately 56 crores.
Accusations claim Siddaramaiah abused his authority, prompting Snehamayi Krishna to lodge a complaint with the Mysore Lokayukta Police for an investigation on July 3, 2024.
Timeline:
- Snehamayi Krishna sought gubernatorial consent for prosecuting the case in June-July 2024.
- The Governor authorized the probe on August 17.
- Siddaramaiah's appeal, rejected on August 19, led to a mandated police investigation on September 24, 2024.
- The Lokayukta police's B report cleared Siddaramaiah and his family, which a special court endorsed.
Reactions:
The Karnataka High Court accepted Advocate Aditya Narayanan's proposal to reschedule the inquiry to the third week of July.