Karnataka governor approves CM Siddaramaiah's prosecution in MUDA scam

NEW DELHI: Karnataka governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday gave the nod for the prosecution of chief minister Siddaramiah in alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment scam.

The development comes weeks after social activist and advocate TJ Abraham filed a petition with the governor, seeking permission to prosecute CM Siddaramaiah in a case pertaining to land allotted to his wife BM Parvathi.

Earlier, Siddaramaiah had expressed confidence that the governor would reject a petition seeking prosecution against him.

"Everything is legal, (the governor) should be convinced. Not hopeful, I'm confident that he will accept (the government's response) as things are legal. He (governor) is the head of the Constitution, when things are in accordance with the Constitution, why won't he accept? I'm confident that he will accept," Siddaramaiah told reporters in Mysuru.

The alleged MUDA scam involves the "fraudulent" allotment of sites to land losers.

The scam emerged when the original owner of a 3.16-acre parcel of land in Kesare village petitioned the Mysuru deputy commissioner (DC) to reclaim their land.

This land parcel in question, was transferred to CM Siddaramaiah's brother-in-law in 2005.

However, the controversy around the land deepened after it came to the fore that BM Parvathi, the CM's wife, was allegedly allocated 14 premium sites in Mysuru in 2022 as compensation for this land under the 50:50 scheme run by MUDA.

The controversial MUDA scheme envisages allotting 50 per cent of developed land to the land loser in lieu of undeveloped land acquired for forming layouts.

Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.