Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday granted sanction for prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment 'scam'.
"The Governor has granted sanction for prosecution against the Chief Minister. It is based on three petitions filed by -- T J Abraham, Pradeep Kumar and Snehamayi Krishna," an senior official at the Raj Bhavan told PTI.
The Governor's secretariat has written to Pradeep Kumar S P, T J Abraham and Snehamayi Krishna about the decision of the component authority on the request of sanction of prosecution against Siddaramaiah, under section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and section 218 of Bharithiya Nagarika Suraksha Samhitha, 2023 for the commission of alleged offences mentioned in the petitions.
A special meeting of the state cabinet has been called at 5 pm on Saturday, following the Governor's decision.
According to official and Congress sources, the chief minister will legally fight the prosecution sanction accorded by the Governor.
Siddaramaiah has repeatedly said that the Congress government led by him is ready to fight legally and politically, in case the Governor rejects the Cabinet's advice to withdraw the 'show-cause notice' to him, and grants permission for prosecution.
Based on a petition filed by advocate-activist T J Abraham, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot had issued a 'show-cause notice' on July 26 directing the chief minister to submit his reply to the allegations against him within seven days as to why permission for prosecution should not be granted against him.
The Karnataka government had on August 1 'strongly advised' the Governor to withdraw his 'show-cause notice' to the chief minister and alleged 'gross misuse of the Constitutional Office' of the Governor.
Addressing reporters after the meeting of the Council of Ministers on August 1, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had said the Governor failed to take note of the fact that Abraham comes with criminal antecedents having criminal cases of blackmail and extortion registered against him.
In the MUDA 'scam', it is alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi 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 MUDA 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.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have claimed that the MUDA 'scam' is of the magnitude of Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore.
The Congress government on July 14 constituted a single member inquiry commission under former High Court Judge Justice P N Desai to probe the MUDA 'scam'.
The opposition BJP and Janata Dal-Secular held a week-long 'padayatre' earlier this month from Bengaluru to Mysuru demanding the resignation of Siddaramaiah in connection with the scam.
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Governor's office has been misused: Karnataka HM
Karnataka Home Minister Parameshwara on Saturday decried that the Governor's office has been 'misused' after Thaawarchand Gehlot granted sanction to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with alternative site scam in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority.
He claimed that there was pressure from the top on Governor Gehlot, which is now proved.
Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, Parameshwara said, "It is clear that there is pressure from the top. There was no clear information that the CM had given any direction or even given oral instruction."
Yet, Siddaramaiah was served a show-cause notice.
"We had categorically explained with minute details following the governor's show-cause notice, how he (CM) has been framed... even if the Governor grants permission then we naturally feel that there was a pressure from the top," he alleged.
"We have been saying this from the beginning that the office of the Governor has been misused. Now it's proved."
The minister said the CM will fight it legally.
"We have to see how the permission to prosecute Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was given. We have already said we would fight it legally," he added.
Parameshwara further said Siddaramaiah will discuss with the legal team to decide the future course of action.
He said the party had earlier believed that the permission would not be granted after the cabinet gave a detailed explanation.
