In a significant development, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday issued notices to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi B M, and other involved parties following a plea by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna. The plea seeks to transfer the investigation of the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The case pertains to allegations of improper allotment of 14 sites in an upscale area of Mysuru to Parvathi B M, under a scheme that might have caused significant losses to the state’s coffers. These allotments were reportedly done through the MUDA under a 50:50 ratio scheme, where land losers receive half of the developed land in compensation for their undeveloped land acquired for public projects.
The appeal challenges a prior decision from February 7 by a single-judge bench, which refused the request to transfer the Lokayukta police’s ongoing investigation to the CBI. The division bench, comprising Chief Justice N V Anjaria and Justice K V Aravind, has set April 28 as the return date for the notices, coinciding with hearings of related appeals.
In the original proceedings, the Lokayukta’s inquiry was deemed unbiased and thorough, affirming the autonomy of the office as upheld by the Supreme Court and the High Court previously. The evidence, according to the court, did not warrant a CBI re-investigation.
During Wednesday’s session, the division bench also delved into procedural queries about the maintainability of an appeal against the single judge’s decision under Article 226 of the Constitution. Senior Advocate K G Raghavan, representing Krishna, clarified that the appeal seeks a writ of mandamus, not contesting the judicial order itself.
Further complexity arises as Raghavan pointed out an upcoming appeal against the governor’s sanction to prosecute the respondents, which could influence the proceedings related to the CBI investigation referral.
