MUDA scam: Petition filed in K'taka HC for CBI probe against Siddaramaiah

A petition has been filed in the High Court of Karnataka, seeking a CBI probe against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the alleged MUDA scam.

Advocate Vasant Kumar, representing petitioner activist Snehamayi Krishna on Friday said that they have filed a writ petition and are seeking High Court directions to handover the case to the CBI to carry out a fair investigation in the writ petition.

"Today we have filed a writ petition making appeal to direct to hand over the MUDA investigation to the CBI, it will come hearing on Monday. we have also referred in the yesterday's special court order in the petition, prima facie is that MUDA is a big scam, that's why we have requested the high court for the CBI inquiry in the case for the free and fair inquiry into the case," Kumar told ANI.

Earlier, a Special Court in Bengaluru on Wednesday passed an order directing Karnataka Lokyukta to conduct an investigation against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the allegation of illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites worth Rs 56 crore to his wife Parvathi by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

Karnataka Lokayukta's Mysuru district police have to conduct the investigation and submit its report in three months. The Special Court's order came after the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday vacated its interim stay order granted on August 19 directing the court to defer the decision on the complaints against Siddaramaiah.

The order came on the petition of social activist Snehamayi Krishna.

Amidst these developments, despite strong demands from the BJP to resign, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has refused to step down.

In response to the BJP's demands, Siddaramaiah has pointed out that there are also FIRs against Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and others in connection with the electoral bond issue.

He argued that if he should resign due to an FIR, then Sitharaman and others should also step down.

"As per 17A, they were asked to do an inquiry and to give a report before 3 months as per the special court, as per that, they will file an FIR and do an investigation. There is an FIR against Nirmala Sitharaman as well in the people's representative court; who is she (Finance Minister) related to electoral bond? An FIR has been filed against her; shouldn't she also give her resignation?. Let them (BJP) resign; in my case, the lower special court took the decision and asked to enquire and to give the report in 3 months," Siddaramaiah said.

Siddaramaiah also demanded the resignation of PM Modi and HD Kumaraswamy.

The matter pertains to the allegation against Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on illegalities in the allotment of 14 sites worth Rs 56 crore to his wife Parvathi by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).