MUDA case: Lokayukta files 11,000-page closure report day after clean chit to K'taka CM, kin

The Karnataka Lokayukta, which is probing the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case, submitted a 11,000-page closure report to the Special Court for MLAs and MPs in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Mysuru Lokayukta SP, T.J. Udesh, submitted the report to the court a day after the Karnataka Lokayukta, which investigated the matter issued a clean chit to CM Siddaramaiah and the other accused in the case.

Sources reveal that the Lokayukta has filed a closure report in the case against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife B.M. Parvathi (Accused No. 2), Mallikarjunswamy, Siddaramaiah’s brother-in-law (Accused No. 3), and landowner J. Devaraju (Accused No. 4).

Sources further stated that the report contains statements from more than 50 individuals and concludes that there is no evidence against CM Siddaramaiah and the three other accused in the case.

However, the report mentions that the investigation will continue against officers and other accused individuals.

Reacting to the development, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar stated in Bengaluru on Thursday, “From the beginning, I have said that the MUDA case is purely political. When the BJP and JD(S) organised a padyatra from Bengaluru to Mysuru over this issue, I reiterated that it was politically-motivated.”

“There is no signature or order issued by CM Siddaramaiah. He had only sought a claim over the acquisition of his property, and the allotment of sites was done accordingly. There is no rule that compensatory sites must be provided in a particular locality. There is no evidence in this case—it was purely a political plot,” he asserted.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar further stated that both the High Court and the Supreme Court have made remarks on the matter.

“The Lokayukta is an independent institution, and the courts have emphasised that local institutions should not be weakened. The police do not act on the CM’s instructions in everything. Whether I am the CM or BJP’s Basavaraj Bommai is the CM, such interference will not happen,” he added.

He further emphasised that the Lokayukta is a constitutional body beyond the CM’s control.

“The appointment of officers is done in consultation with the agency, and the officers belong to the Karnataka cadre,” Shivakumar stated.

Agriculture Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy also reacted, saying that he had always believed CM Siddaramaiah would receive a clean chit from the Lokayukta.

“There is no letter from him, nor any recommendation to MUDA to allot sites to him. The decision to allot sites was made during the BJP government’s tenure. The allotments were done for everyone, including CM Siddaramaiah. If any action is to be taken, it should be against the BJP-appointed Chairman of MUDA. The BJP and JD(S) must take responsibility,” he stated.

Priyank Kharge, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, IT, and BT, remarked that the Lokayukta is an independent organisation.

“If the BJP says they don’t believe in it, how tenable is that? What if the BJP and JD(S) held a padyatra from Bengaluru to Mysuru? Does that mean we should hand out capital punishment? Let the Opposition continue their agitation, but they must back it with proper records,” he stated.

It was alleged that CM Siddaramaiah fraudulently secured the allotment of 14 sites by MUDA in his wife’s name in exchange for the acquisition of 3.16 acres of land.

The Karnataka Lokayukta, which investigated the matter, has issued a clean chit to CM Siddaramaiah and the other accused.

This was conveyed in a notice to the petitioner, Snehamayi Krishna, on Wednesday.

The Lokayukta has instructed Snehamayi Krishna to approach the magistrate within a week of receiving the notice if he wishes to oppose the findings.

Superintendent of Police T.J. Udesh stated in the notice that the investigation concluded the case was of a civil nature and not fit for criminal investigation.

The charges were found to be either based on a misconception or a misunderstanding of the law, and no action could be initiated.

The notice further specified that no evidence was found against CM Siddaramaiah and the other accused as the fourth point.

The notice also stated that the charges against Accused Nos. 1 to 4 in the MUDA case were unproven due to lack of evidence.