New Delhi: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday (December 5) issued notice to the Karnataka government and others on an appeal filed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah against a single bench order upholding the Governor’s sanction to prosecute him in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case.
Siddaramaiah, who had filed an appeal before a division bench of the High Court against the single bench order on October 24, has sought to quash the sanction granted by the Karnataka Governor for his prosecution in the MUDA case.
High Court posted Siddaramaiah’s appeal for further hearing on January 25
The division bench comprising Chief Justice NV Anjaria and Justice KV Aravind posted the appeal of the Chief Minister for further hearing on January 25 next year.
Single bench of High Court had on September 24 dismissed Siddaramaiah’s petition
The single bench of the High Court had on September 24 dismissed Siddaramaiah’s petition challenging the sanction granted by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot for his prosecution in the MUDA.
A single bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna upheld Karnataka Governor’s sanction to prosecute Siddaramaiah in the MUDA case, saying that while the Governor has to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers as obtained under Article 163 of the Constitution of India in the normal circumstance but the Governor can take independent decisions in exceptional circumstances and this case is one such exception.
Justice Nagaprasanna had further stated that how and why the rule was bent in favour of the family of the chief minister is what is required to be investigated into and “If this does not require investigation, I fail to understand what other case can merit investigation, as the beneficiary is the family of the petitioner (Siddaramaiah) and the benefit is by leaps and bounds, it is in fact a windfall.”
Karnataka Lokayukta filed an FIR against Siddaramaiah and others
The Karnataka Lokayukta, on the orders of a special court, filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Siddaramaiah and others on charges of corruption, cheating, and forgery following the dismissal of Siddaramaiah’s plea by the single bench of the High Court. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which also took cognisance of the Lokayukt FIR and filed an enforcement case information report (ECIR), is also probing the case.
Karnataka Governor accorded sanction for prosecution of Siddaramaiah on August 16
The Karnataka Governor had on August 16 accorded sanction for the Siddaramaiah’s prosecution under section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988 and section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for the commission of the alleged offences on the petitions of activists Pradeep Kumar SP, TJ Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna.
The MUDA scam pertains to alleged irregularities in the allotment of alternative sites by the MUDA and there are allegations that Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi BM was also a beneficiary. Siddaramaiah is facing allegations of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites by the MUDA to his wife.
