A special court for elected representatives in Bengaluru has asked the Karnataka Lokayukta police to submit its response by October 6 regarding a petition seeking a corruption investigation into the 2010 allotment of civic land to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust, an organisation managed by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s family.
The court’s directive follows a September 18 order confirming that procedural hurdles had been resolved, clearing the way to consider the complaint filed by anti-corruption activist Vijayaraghav Marathe. The matter was remitted to the special court for a second time following directions from the Karnataka High Court.
Allegations of Land Non-Utilization
The controversy involves an 8,001-square-metre civic amenity plot originally acquired by the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA). In 2010, the Bharatiya Janata Party government led by then Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa allotted the parcel to the Siddhartha Vihar Trust at a 50 percent concession, charging Rs 1 crore, to establish an educational institution. The property is currently valued at more than Rs 10 crore.
According to the complaint, the trust secured the concessional allotment on the grounds of being a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the welfare of the Scheduled Caste community. However, the complainant alleged that the trust failed to use the property for the designated purpose.
Marathe argued that a police inquiry is necessary, noting that the Prevention of Corruption Act provides for specialized investigative machinery equipped to handle corruption complaints concerning public servants.
Judicial Review and Procedural History
The petition has undergone multiple procedural stages. On August 11, the special court had declined to order a police probe and opted instead to conduct an inquiry on its own, citing procedural deficiencies, specifically the absence of a sworn legal affidavit to back the allegations.
Marathe challenged that ruling before the Karnataka High Court, which determined on August 18 that the missing affidavit was a rectifiable deficiency and directed the lower court to give the complainant a chance to address it.
Following that order, Marathe submitted the required affidavit on September 10, 2026. In its September 18 order, the special court stated that with the procedural defect cured, there was no longer any impediment to proceeding. The court also observed that it had earlier noted prima facie illegalities outlined in the complaint.
Prior Disputes Over the Property
The parcel remains entangled in legal disputes arising from actions taken after the initial allotment. The previous BJP administration had denotified the plot from BDA acquisition in favor of private individuals.
In 2021, the High Court quashed the BDA’s original land acquisition on the grounds that the property had not been utilized. The Siddhartha Vihar Trust subsequently secured a stay order protecting its hold over the allotted land.
