MUDA scam case: Judicial panel’s clean chit to K’taka CM Siddaramaiah, blames officials

Bengaluru: The report of a one-man judicial commission headed by P.N. Desai, which gave a clean chit to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his family members in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case, has instead blamed the officials and also recommended action against them.

“The MUDA commissioners have not bothered about the formation of layout and allotment of sites in accordance with the KUDA Act. Commissioners working between 2020 and 2024 have arbitrarily and illegally allotted sites at their whims and fancies. Alternative site allotment was in contravention of Rule 16 of the 1991 rules. There appears to be a scam in providing alternative sites with untenable reasons,” the report stated.

Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs H.K. Patil announced this after the cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, Minister Patil stated, “A one-man commission headed by Justice P.N. Desai had been constituted, which has submitted its report in two parts. It has clarified that the allegations made against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his family members are baseless in connection with the MUDA case.”

The report has recommended several actions against some officials. The government has accepted this report, the minister stated.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been named as the prime accused in the MUDA case. His wife, Parvati, is the second accused, and his brother-in-law, Mallikarjunaswamy, is the third. The land owner, J. Devaraju, is named as the fourth accused.

The Karnataka Lokayukta had earlier submitted a closure report citing a lack of evidence against them.

MUDA scam involves the alleged illegal allotment of 14 sites to CM Siddaramaiah’s family. The matter is being probed by the Karnataka Lokayukta and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Activist Snehamayi Krishna has also submitted a petition in the High Court seeking a CBI probe, and CM Siddaramaiah has filed a petition seeking quashing of proceedings against him in the case.

The findings of the report stated, “In respect of utilisation of de-notified land in survey number 464 of Kesare village, though the land owner insisted on alternative undeveloped land as compensation and although the resolution was also passed in 2017, the same has not been implemented. Subsequently, in 2022, sites were allotted in the ratio of 50:50 as per one of the modes of payment adopted in the same manner as allotted to others.”

“The allotment of sites as compensation to the land owners whose lands were de-notified but utilised by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) pertaining to lands in survey numbers 115/22 and 115/42 of Kergalli village and the land in survey number 464 of Kesare village cannot be said to be illegal. Therefore, the methods followed by the authority for compensating in the form of sites in case of utilisation of de-notified lands cannot be said unlawful since MUDA does not have any title and legal possession over de-notified land,” the report stated.

IANS