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The political landscape of Karnataka took a dramatic turn as the Lokayukta police, the state's anti-corruption agency, booked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and three others on charges of corruption, cheating, and forgery. The case revolves around the alleged illegal allotment of 14 MUDA (Mysore Urban Development Authority) housing sites to Siddaramaiah's wife, B M Parvathi, in 2021. This development sparked a political firestorm, with the opposition BJP demanding Siddaramaiah's resignation and the Congress party firmly backing their leader.
The FIR, filed by the Mysuru unit of the Lokayukta police, was based on a private complaint lodged by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna. The complaint was initially referred to a special court for elected representatives on September 25th, which subsequently passed the case onto the Lokayukta police. This followed a crucial decision by the Karnataka High Court on September 24th, upholding the Governor's approval for private individuals to file cases against the CM under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The crux of the allegations lies in a land exchange scheme orchestrated by MUDA. The complainants allege that 3.16 acres of land outside Mysuru, gifted to Siddaramaiah's wife by her brother in 2010, was illegally exchanged for 14 prime housing sites in Mysuru through a 50:50 exchange scheme. This alleged transaction, they claim, caused a significant loss of ₹56 crore to the state. The FIR charges the CM and his family members with benefiting from this scheme, accusing them of conspiracy, cheating, and forgery under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Prevention of Corruption Act, the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, and the Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition Act.
Siddaramaiah has vehemently denied the accusations, calling them politically motivated. He asserts that the case is a tactic by the BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular) to derail the Congress government's pro-poor policies. Meanwhile, the Congress party has rallied behind their leader, defending him as a victim of political vendetta. The Congress national president, Mallikarjun Kharge, also echoed this sentiment, alleging that the case was designed to damage the image of the Congress party.
The political battle lines are drawn, with the BJP demanding Siddaramaiah's immediate resignation and the Congress party staunchly defending their leader. The Lokayukta police investigation is now underway, and its outcome will have significant repercussions on the political landscape of Karnataka. The case is a stark reminder of the complex interplay between politics, corruption, and the law, and its unfolding will be closely watched by the nation.
Source: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah booked by Lokayukta police in MUDA land ‘scam’ case