Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah appeared before the Mysuru Lokayukta Superintendent TJ Udesh on Wednesday morning concerning the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case.
CM Siddaramaiah is the main accused in the case related to the alleged irregularities in the MUDA. He is the first Chief Minister to face a Lokayukta probe while in power in Karnataka’s history. It is also the first time CM Siddaramaiah, who has a clean record, is facing a probe in his four-decade-old political career.
CM Siddaramaiah arrived in Mysuru from Bengaluru and was welcomed by Minister for Social Welfare H.C. Mahadevappa and Minister for Animal Husbandry K. Venkatesh at the Government Guest House.
CM Siddaramaiah had breakfast at the guest house and then went straight to the Lokayukta’s office. He would be probed about his role in allocating sites on a 50:50 ratio to his family, land conversion, and alleged document fabrication.
Sources stated that if CM Siddaramaiah gets a clean chit in the Lokayukta probe, it would help him to strongly argue that the investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is not required and allegations against him are political in nature. CM Siddaramaiah can face the investigation without the threat of being arrested.
The High Court will take up the petition demanding a CBI probe on November 26. The court has also asked the Lokayukta to submit its investigation report.
Petitioner Snehamayi Krishna has stated that he has submitted a list of questions to be asked from CM Siddaramaiah. If the Lokayukta fails to ask these questions, CM Siddaramaiah will have to face these questions by the CBI in future.
A high alert has been sounded in the surrounding areas of Lokayukta’s office in Mysuru. The Lokayukta had questioned CM Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathy, the second accused, third accused brother-in-law Mallikarjunaswamy and fourth accused land owner J. Devaraju earlier.
–IANS
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