Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Feb 19: Hours after the Karnataka Lokayukta gave a clean chit to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his family members in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land case, petitioner Snehamayi Krishna criticized the decision, alleging political influence over the probe.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Snehamayi Krishna accused Lokayukta officials of failing in their duty and claimed that they had "sold their souls to political leaders."
"The Lokayukta has submitted a ‘B report’ citing a lack of evidence. I will challenge this in court," Krishna stated. "Despite submitting all necessary documents, the Lokayukta Police claim there is no evidence against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife B M Parvathi, his brother-in-law Mallikarjunaswamy, and landowner J Devaraj. This is unacceptable."
Calling on the public to question the decision, Krishna said, "If I fail to prove my allegations against Siddaramaiah, I will not be Snehamayi Krishna. Even an ordinary citizen like me can understand the truth, yet officials claim there is no evidence. I challenge the chief minister to disclose details of land allotments under the 50:50 ratio. If he proves such a rule exists, I am ready to go to jail."
Krishna further alleged that the chief minister had misused his position in the case and illegally accumulated property.
"I have submitted all relevant documents, which any investigative agency can verify. How can the Lokayukta submit a final report before completing the investigation? Supreme Court guidelines are being ignored. The officials should be ashamed of submitting a ‘B report’ without a thorough probe. Do they really need an IPS degree to understand this?" Krishna questioned.
Citing legal provisions, Krishna argued that under Section 173 of the CrPC, a final report can only be submitted after a full investigation. "This is not a final report—it is an interim one. I will expose these officials in court," he asserted.
The Lokayukta has informed Krishna that he can challenge the findings in court within a week. However, Krishna expressed confidence that he would be granted more time.
"This is a clear attempt to protect the accused. The law mandates a full investigation before submitting a report, yet officials have not even specified which documents are missing. They must clarify whether the land was allotted under the 50:50 ratio and if it adhered to legal norms," Krishna added.
Lokayukta’s findings
The Karnataka Lokayukta issued a clean chit to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his family in connection with the MUDA land case. The allegations against the chief minister pertained to the fraudulent allotment of 14 sites by MUDA in his wife’s name in exchange for the acquisition of 3.16 acres of land.
CM Siddaramaiah was named as 'Accused No. 1', his wife B M Parvathi as 'Accused No. 2', his brother-in-law Mallikarjunaswamy as 'Accused No. 3', and landowner J Devaraju as 'Accused No. 4'.
In a notice to petitioner Snehamayi Krishna, the Lokayukta directed him to approach the magistrate if he wished to contest the findings. Superintendent of Police T J Udesh stated that the investigation concluded the case was civil in nature and did not warrant criminal proceedings.
The notice further mentioned that the charges were either based on a misunderstanding of the law or lacked substantial evidence. Consequently, no action was recommended against the accused, and the final report is in the process of being submitted to the court.