Karnataka governor sanctions prosecution of CM Siddaramaiah in MUDA scam

Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot on Saturday, August 17, granted sanction to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the MUDA land scam. The decision allows for an official investigation into the allocation of sites to Siddaramaiah's wife by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in exchange for land acquired. Karnataka CMO confirmed to TNM that the order sanctioning the prosecution has been sent to the Chief Secretary’s office.

This comes after RTI activist TJ George petitioned the governor to accord permission to prosecute CM Siddaramiah.Two others, Pradeep Kumar SP and Snehamayi Krishna, had also approached the Governor seeking sanction for prosecution. In his order, the Governor has accorded permission for prosecution under section 17A (prior approval from competent authority) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and section 218 (prosecution of public servants) of the Bharatiya Nagarika Suraksha Samhita.

Earlier, the Karnataka government had constituted a one-man panel headed by retired High Court judge PN Desai to probe the matter. The panel's mandate included examining allegations related to the purchase, de-notification, gifting, encroachment, and allocation of alternative sites concerning 3.16 acres of land owned by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife, BM Parvathi.

Amidst mounting pressure, the opposition, led by the BJP, has been demanding Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's resignation and urging for the case to be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The BJP has alleged potential losses amounting to approximately Rs 4,000 crore due to fraudulent allotments linked to the MUDA controversy.

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