LOKAYUKTA police here on Friday registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case, following the court order, official sources said. A Special Court in Bengaluru on Wednesday ordered a Lokayukta police probe against Siddaramaiah in the case, setting the stage for filing an FIR against him. The order of the Special Court Judge, Santhosh Gajanan Bhat, came a day after the High Court upheld the sanction granted by the Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to conduct an investigation against Siddaramaiah on the allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites to his wife B M Parvathi by MUDA. The Special Court exclusively to deal with criminal cases related to former and elected MPs/MLAs issued the order directing the Lokayukta police in Mysuru to initiate an investigation on the complaint filed by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna.

 

The Court issued directions to take up the probe under section 156 (3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) (that gives a magistrate the power to order an investigation into a cognisable offense.) and file the investigation report by December 24. “Acting under Sec.156(3) of Code of Criminal Procedure, the jurisdictional police i.E., Superintendent of Police, Karnataka Lokayukta, Mysuru is hereby directed to register the case, investigate and to file a report as contemplated under Sec.173 of Cr.P.C., within a period 3 months from today..” the court had said. It had listed offences punishable under Sec.120B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy), 166 (Public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person), 403 (Dishonest misappropriation of property), 406 ( Punishment for criminal breach of trust), 420 ( Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 426 ( Punishment for mischief), 465 (Punishment for forgery) , 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 340 (Wrongful confinement), 351 (Assault) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. The court had also listed offences punishable under sections 9 and 13 the Prevention Of Corruption Act, 1988 and under Sec.3, 53 and 54 of the Prohibition Of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988 and 3, 4 of Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition Act, 2011. Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, Devaraju (from whom Mallikarjuna Swamy purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi) are named in the FIR, official sources said. 

 

 

KARNATAKA Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday claimed he was being targeted in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case as the Opposition is “scared” of him and said it’s the first such “political case” against him. The CM reiterated that he won’t resign following the court ordering a probe against him in the case as he has done no wrong and asserted that he would fight the case legally. Accusing the Central Government of misusing central agencies like CBI, ED and also the office of the Governor in the opposition-ruled States across the country, he said there was a need for a national debate on Governors’ “interference” in administration.

 

“I have done no wrong. This is for the first time a political case is being registered against me. This is a political case, please underline,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here. Asked as to why he is being targeted, he said, “because they (opposition) are afraid of me.” Siddaramaiah arrived here on a three-day visit to a rousing welcome by party workers and supporters, even as the Lokayukta police appeared set to register an FIR against him following the Special Court order in connection with the case. Regarding BJP holding protests demanding his resignation, the CM said, “why should I resign? If one has committed wrong he has to resign, when we are saying that no wrong was done, where is the question of resigning?” Questioning JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Siddaramaiah said: “He is on bail after FIR, why hasn’t he resigned? He is a Minister in Narendra Modi’s government.” Asked as to why he is being targeted, Siddaramaiah said: “it is politics, it is being done to destabilise the Congress government”, and asserted that he will fight the charges against him legally. Siddaramaiah, in response to a question regarding functioning of Governors in various states and whether there was a need for a “national campaign against it”, said: “There should be a national debate. Governors should not interfere in the administration. That is what the Constitution says.” Asked as to why he is being targeted, Siddaramaiah said: “it is politics, it is being done to destabilise the Congress government”, and asserted that he will fight the charges against him legally.