Karnataka High Court Deliberates on CBI Investigation into MUDA Scam

Bengaluru, Jan 27 (NationPress) The Dharwad Bench of the Karnataka High Court, led by Justice M. Nagaprasanna, has postponed its decision on Monday regarding the petition demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam. This move came after the completion of the arguments and counterarguments in the case.

The first accused in this matter is Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, while his wife, B.M. Parvathi, holds the position of the second accused. Allegations suggest that Siddaramaiah leveraged his political influence to acquire compensation for 14 sites registered under his wife's name in return for 3 acres and 16 guntas of land that was taken by the MUDA.

The petitioner, Snehamayi Krishna, has raised concerns about the ongoing investigation by the Karnataka Lokayukta and is advocating for a CBI inquiry into the scandal.

As the matter was reserved for judgment, the bench instructed the Karnataka Lokayukta to persist with its investigation into the MUDA scam and to submit a further report on the judgment day.

Experts indicated that, considering the involvement of six notable counsels who presented their arguments and referenced Supreme Court decisions, the bench may require around a week to issue its ruling.

Attorney Maninder Singh, representing the petitioner Snehamayi Krishna, asserted in court on Monday that it is crucial for the MUDA scam to be investigated by the CBI or another impartial agency to maintain public confidence.

He underscored that when high-ranking government officials are implicated, an unbiased investigation is essential.

“The entire Cabinet has made a decision to shield Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in this case,” Singh contended.

“From the very beginning, the position has been to allocate the case to the CBI. This situation necessitates an investigation by the CBI or another independent body. There have been precedents where the Supreme Court has directly assigned cases to the CBI,” he elaborated.

Singh further argued that CM Siddaramaiah should have willingly embraced a CBI investigation.

Conversely, Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty urged the bench to allow additional time for presenting counterarguments against the petition. He also requested that the issue be addressed later when the court resumes operations in Bengaluru after the break.

However, the bench did not concede, instructing the AG to present the arguments without delay. The AG requested that counsel Kapil Sibal would appear before the court and sought more time.

The bench, nonetheless, indicated that arguments could be submitted via video conferencing. The AG then reported a technical issue with the video setup, prompting the bench to direct that the issues be resolved and arguments presented within the day.

Senior Counsel Dushyanth Dave, representing the fourth accused, landowner J. Devaraju, in the MUDA case, stated that his client is not under any criminal accusations, thus rendering a CBI investigation unnecessary. He further claimed that the petition was filed to embarrass Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

“The petitioner previously sought a Lokayukta investigation before the court, and when the Lokayukta inquiry was underway, he filed a petition for a CBI probe. The court should not waste a moment on this petition,” he asserted, adding that the petitioner concealed numerous facts about the case.

“The petitioner has withheld the order of mutation and revenue department documents which verify that Devaraju was the rightful owner of the property,” Dave stated.

In the meantime, the Karnataka Lokayukta submitted the status quo investigation report concerning the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam to the High Court Dharwad bench on Monday.

Mysuru Lokayukta Superintendent of Police, T.J. Udesh, delivered the report in a sealed envelope to the court. The court had previously directed the Lokayukta to ensure the report was submitted without fail.

Commenting on the situation, Snehamayi Krishna expressed confidence that the case would be assigned to the CBI. She claimed that the Lokayukta was not appropriately handling the investigation. “We have provided evidence and documents indicating collusion between the Lokayukta officials and the accused in this case,” she stated.

“In light of rampant corruption and based on the evidence and documents we submitted, we are optimistic that today the court will assign the case to the CBI.”

When asked about rumors suggesting that CM Siddaramaiah and his wife Parvathi may receive a clean slate in the Lokayukta inquiry, Snehamayi Krishna replied: “I don’t have official information on this. I learned about it through the media. It’s implausible to grant a clean chit to CM Siddaramaiah. We have provided ample evidence to substantiate the charges against him.”

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a notice to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife, B.M. Parvathi, the second accused in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scandal.

The ED has also sent a notice to Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh, a close associate of CM Siddaramaiah.

Sources indicate that the ED has summoned the CM’s wife to appear before its officials on January 28 (Tuesday). Minister Suresh has also been called to meet with the ED agents.

Following this, CM’s wife Parvathi and Minister Suresh have approached the Karnataka High Court contesting the summons issued to them by the ED.