The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s petition challenging the legality of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s approval for an investigation into his involvement in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case. The judgment was delivered by a single judge bench, presided over by Justice M Nagaprasanna.
The court had reserved its judgment on September 12, after concluding all hearings in the case. An interim order issued on August 19, which directed a special court to defer its proceedings against Siddaramaiah, was also extended until the court’s final ruling.
The case involves allegations that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife, BM Parvathi, in a prime area of Mysuru, which had a significantly higher property value compared to the land she originally owned. The MUDA had allotted the plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme, where 50% of developed land is given in exchange for undeveloped land acquired for residential layouts. However, opposition leaders and activists have claimed that Parvathi had no legal title over the 3.16 acres of land in question.
Governor Gehlot had granted sanction for an investigation on August 16, 2023, under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, following petitions filed by complainants Pradeep Kumar SP, TJ Abraham, and Snehamayi Krishna. Siddaramaiah filed a petition on August 19, challenging the Governor’s decision.
In his petition, Siddaramaiah argued that the sanction was issued without proper application of mind, in violation of statutory and constitutional principles. He contended that the Governor’s decision disregarded the advice of the Council of Ministers, which is binding under Article 163 of the Constitution of India.
Siddaramaiah’s legal team, led by Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Professor Ravivarma Kumar, argued that the Governor’s order was procedurally flawed and influenced by extraneous considerations. On the other side, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta represented the Governor’s office, with additional submissions made by Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty. Senior advocates, including Maninder Singh and Prabhuling K Navadgi, appeared for the complainants.
With the High Court’s dismissal of the petition, the investigation into the allegations against Siddaramaiah in the MUDA site allotment case is expected to proceed.
