The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday issued notice to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with a plea seeking a CBI probe into the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case.
Adjourning the hearing in the case to November 26, a bench, headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna, also issued notices to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathy, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and land owner J. Devaraju asking them to file an objection if they have any against the petition.
The bench directed the Karnataka Lokayukta to submit a report on the progress of the investigation in the case till November 25.
Public prosecutor B. N. Jagadish sought two weeks to file objections.
RTI activist Snehamayi Krisha on September 27 submitted a petition before the High Court demanding a CBI probe against CM Siddaramaiah.
Krishna had stated in his petition that he does not think Lokayukta can ensure a transparent probe.
He said that the Lokayukta institution comes under the state government, and officers are designated by the government. Therefore, he was not confident of a transparent and unbiased investigation into the case.
On Monday, the Karnataka Lokayukta served notice to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to appear on Wednesday for questioning in connection with the alleged irregularities.
CM Siddaramaiah has been asked to be present at the Mysuru Lokayukta office on November 6 (Wednesday), sources confirmed on Monday.
The Mysuru Lokayukta had earlier grilled Parvathy, the second accused in the scam, for hours.
The Lokayukta sleuths had also probed CM Siddaramaiah's brother-in-law and Devaraju.
Siddaramaiah was the first accused, Parvathy the second accused, his brother-in-law the third accused and Devarju the fourth accused in the case.
India festive season sales log 12 pc growth at Rs 1.18 lakh crore, smaller cities lead
Driven by tier 2 and 3 cities, India’s e-commerce sector registered a gross merchandise value (GMV) of approximately $14 billion (more than Rs 1.18 lakh crore) in this year’s festive season, marking a 12 per cent growth over last year’s festive period, a report said on Wednesday.
K’taka bypolls: 10.14 pc voting in first 2 hours of polling on 3 Assembly seats
The high-profile Channapatna seat saw a turnout of 10.34 per cent of voters, the Shiggaon segment witnessed 10.08 per cent of voting and the Sandur seat saw a voters’ turnout of 9.99 per cent.
Polling underway in five Assembly seats in Assam
These five Assembly constituencies -- Dholai, Samaguri, Behali, Bongaigaon and Sidli fell vacant following the election of five legislators in the Lower House of Parliament in this year’s Lok Sabha polls.
John Ratcliffe is Trump's pick to head CIA
US President-elect Donald Trump has named John Ratcliffe, a former congressman and Director of National Intelligence, as his Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, contrary to feverish speculation that the job was going to Kash Patel, an Indian-American.
Providing better healthcare biggest priority: PM Modi ahead of Darbhanga AIIMS inauguration
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday reaffirmed the Centre's commitment to providing better healthcare and improving the living conditions of the countrymen.
India likely to add 33.9 mn jobs to its workforce by 2028 in AI era
With AI-driven transformation, India is projected to increase its workforce from 423.73 million in 2023 to 457.62 million by 2028, a net gain of 33.89 million workers, according to a report on Wednesday.
Delhi-NCR engulfed in thick smog as air quality deteriorates
A dense layer of smog shrouded Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) on Wednesday morning, sharply reducing visibility as the air quality plunged to "very poor" levels.
Polling begins for Wayanad, Chelakkara bye-elections in Kerala
Polling commenced at the high-profile Lok Sabha constituency in Wayanad on the dot at 7 A.M, on Wednesday morning, when voters were seen queuing up in good numbers even before the polling began.