New Delhi: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and his wife Parvathi have been given a clean chit by the Lokayukta police in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case by the Lokayukta police, citing lack of evidence.
The Lokayukta police submitted their final report to the Karnataka high court on Wednesday (February 19), clearing Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi, his brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, and landowner Devaraju of all allegations.
“Since the above allegations against accused-1 to accused-4 in the case have not been proven due to lack of evidence, the final report is being submitted to the high court,” the Lokayukta police said in a letter to activist Snehamayi Krishna who is a complainant in the MUDA case.
However, the Lokayukta police have stated that further investigation will be conducted into allegations of MUDA providing compensatory plots in the ratio of 50:50 from 2016 to 2024. An additional final report will be submitted to the high court in this regard.
The development comes days after the Karnataka high court rejected a plea to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had been demanding a CBI probe into the matter.
The site allotment case revolves around 14 prime plots worth Rs 56 crore allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi, as compensation in 2021. These plots were given in exchange for 3.16 acres of land in Mysuru’s Kesaru village, which was gifted to Parvathi by her brother in 2010 and allegedly “wrongfully” acquired by MUDA in 2014.
The allotment was made under a contentious 50:50 scheme, which was implemented when the BJP was in power in the state. This scheme allowed landowners to receive 50% of the developed plots, while MUDA retained the remaining 50%. However, activists and the BJP have alleged that Parvathi received plots in areas with higher property values, making the exchange unfair and increasing the worth of her land compared to the original plot.
A special court directed the Lokayukta police to investigate the matter on September 25, 2024, following a request by an RTI activist who sought a probe by the Lokayukta, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), or any other agency.
