Synopsis
The Lokayukta Police in Mysuru have registered an FIR against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and his wife Parvathy for allegedly unlawfully allotting 14 housing plots. The case follows a special court’s directive to investigate complaints from an activist. Siddaramaiah denies wrongdoing, while the BJP demands his resignation.
Bengaluru: The Lokayukta Police in Mysuru registered an FIR against Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Friday in a case of alleged unlawful allotment of 14 housing plots in the same city to his wife Parvathy, opening a new chapter of crisis in the veteran Congress leader’s four decades of political life.
The FIR names Siddaramaiah as the first accused and his wife as the second. His brother-in-law Mallikarjunaswamy and Devaraju, the landowner who sold the plot, have been named the third and fourth accused, respectively.
The police filed the FIR in accordance with the directions of a special court in Bengaluru, which on Wednesday, ordered investigation by the Lokayukta Police into complaints against Siddaramaiah and three others.
The order by Special Court Judge Santhosh Gajanana Bhat came on a complaint from a Mysuru-based activist Snehamayi Krishna and requires the Lokayukta Police to complete the investigation in three months.
The police registered the case under Sections 120B, 166, 403, 406, 420, 426, 465, 468, 340, 351 and other relevant sections of the IPC, under Sections 9 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and under Sections 3, 53 and 54 of the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988 and, under sections 3 and 4 of Karnataka Land Grabbing Prohibition Act, 2011.
The private complaint relates to Mysore Urban Development Authority allotting 14 housing plots in an upscale residential area in Mysuru to Siddaramaiah’s wife in return for 3.16 acres of land acquired in Kesare village on the city outskirts.
The complainant, however, told the media that he would pursue legally to have the case transferred to the CBI, expressing a lack of faith in the investigation by the Lokayukta Police.
Demands for resignation
Siddaramaiah rejected demands for his resignation saying the question does not arise since he has not committed anything wrong. He said the Opposition parties have ensnared him in a false case, for the first time, fearing the overwhelming support of people he enjoys.
The BJP, however, persisted with its demands for the CM’s resignation. BJP state president BY Vijayendra and Opposition leader R Ashoka urged him to resign and save the state’s honour. The party described the FIR as a major win for justice.
“Years of corruption & neglect are finally coming to light. Kannadigas won’t forgive these scamsters for exploiting the vulnerable,” the party posted on X.
