Karnataka HC provides temporary relief to CM Siddaramaiah in MUDA scam case

New Delhi: Karnataka High Court on Monday deferred proceedings against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the alleged MUDA scam until August 29. The special court, which was set to hear petitions filed by social activists against the Chief Minister, will now wait for the High Court's decision before proceeding further.

Legal battle over MUDA scam

The case against Siddaramaiah involves accusations of irregularities in land allocation by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) during his previous term as Chief Minister. Social activists Snehamayi Krishna and TJ Abraham had filed petitions demanding an investigation into the alleged scam, with hearings scheduled in the Special Court for People's Representatives this week. However, these proceedings have now been postponed pending the High Court's review.

Siddaramaiah challenges governor's sanction

Earlier, Siddaramaiah had approached the Karnataka High Court to challenge the Governor of Karnataka, Thaawarchand Gehlot's decision to sanction an investigation against him. In an urgent hearing, Siddaramaiah's legal team, led by senior advocate and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, argued that the Governor's sanction was granted without proper consideration and was influenced by political motives.

Singhvi contended that the Governor's decision was made in defiance of the state Cabinet's detailed report, which outlined reasons why the complaint should not have been entertained. "A 'friendly' Governor gave the sanction without considering the frivolous nature of the complaint," Singhvi stated during the hearing.

Court defers proceedings

Following the arguments, the Karnataka High Court, under Justice M. Nagaprasanna, ordered a stay on the proceedings in the special court, stating that the matter should not proceed further until the next hearing on August 29. This decision has temporarily halted any immediate legal action against Siddaramaiah.

MUDA land controversy

The MUDA land scam allegations stem from a land allocation in Kesaru village, where Siddaramaiah's wife, Parvathi, was compensated with 14 premium sites in Vijayanagar. Activists have alleged that the compensatory land had a higher market value than the original land, raising concerns of favoritism and corruption.

The BJP has seized on the controversy, demanding Siddaramaiah’s resignation. However, the Chief Minister has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, calling the accusations a politically motivated attempt by the opposition to destabilize his government.