Lokayukta police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case on Friday, following a court order.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge defended Siddaramaiah, stating that the party stands behind him. During a three-day visit to his home district of Mysuru, Siddaramaiah claimed he is being targeted in the MUDA issue because the opposition is “scared” of him, describing it as the first “political case” against him.
He reiterated that he will not resign following the court-ordered probe, asserting his innocence and commitment to fighting the case legally.
Siddaramaiah is named as accused number one (A1) in the FIR, along with his wife B.M. Parvathi (A2), brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy (A3), Devaraju (A4)—from whom Mallikarjuna Swamy purchased land to gift to Parvathi—and others. A Special Court in Bengaluru had ordered the Lokayukta police investigation against Siddaramaiah earlier this week, paving the way for the FIR.
The court’s order, issued by Judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat, came a day after the High Court upheld the Governor’s sanction for the investigation into allegations of illegalities related to the allotment of 14 sites to Siddaramaiah’s wife by the MUDA. The Special Court, dedicated to criminal cases involving former and elected MPs/MLAs, directed the Lokayukta police in Mysuru to investigate a complaint filed by RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna.
The FIR charges Siddaramaiah under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including criminal conspiracy, public servant disobeying law, dishonest misappropriation of property, cheating, and more. The court also listed offenses under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act.