Lokayukta finds no evidence against Siddaramaiah, wife in MUDA case

The Lokayukta police probing the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case on Wednesday said the charges against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his wife Parvathi could not be proved for want of evidence.

Leader of Opposition in the assembly, R Ashoka, addressing the media said the Lokayukta report giving clean chit to Siddaramaiah was on the expected lines, while the petitioner in the case, activist Snehamayi Krishna, told PTI: "Only those officials who have sold their conscience can give such a report."

The probing officers said they have submitted the final report to the high court.

'Since the above allegations against accused-1 to accused-4 in the case have not been proven due to lack of evidence, the final report will be submitted to the high court,' the Lokayukta police said in a letter to Krishna.

Besides Siddaramaiah and his wife, his brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and the land owner Devaraju are the accused.

The Lokayukta police said that further investigation will be conducted into the allegations of MUDA providing compensatory plots in the ratio of 50:50 from 2016 to 2024 and an additional final report will be submitted to the high court under Section 173 (8) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

According to Krishna, the Lokayukta police is likely to submit the report on Thursday.

In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife in an upmarket area in Mysuru, which had higher property value as compared to the location of her land which had been 'acquired' by the MUDA.

The MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of 3.16 acres of her land, where it developed a residential layout.

Under the controversial scheme, MUDA allotted 50 per cent of developed land to the land losers in lieu of undeveloped land acquired from them for forming residential layouts.

It is alleged that Parvathi had no legal title over this 3.16 acres of land at survey number 464 of Kasare village, Kasaba hobli of Mysuru taluk.

The Lokayukta as well as the ED are probing the matter simultaneously.

Reacting to the report, Krishna said, "The Lokayukta officials, who were ready to submit the report, which the entire country had been waiting for, have given me a notice. It seems that there is a lack of evidence for the allegations I have made."

"Only those officials who have sold their conscience can give such a report. This case is a blatant example of how the investigating authorities, who are under the 'influence', act as if they have no idea what evidence is sufficient to prove the allegations," the activist alleged.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ashoka said the Lokayukta report giving clean chit to Siddaramaiah was on the expected lines.

"Since the police officers in the Lokayukta are from the state cadre, they too need promotions and postings. Hence, they have to oblige," he said, addressing a press conference.

Ashoka said only a CBI probe can bring out the facts.