Muda case: Karnataka HC dismisses CM Siddaramaiah's petition, upholds governor's authority to order probe

BENGALURU: In a big setback for chief minister Siddaramaiah, the Karnataka high court on Tuesday dismissed his petition challenging the sanction accorded by governor Taawarchand Gehlot to investigate the complaints against him in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) alternative sites controversy.
The chief minister's wife Parvathi is alleged to be the beneficiary in this case.
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Justice M Nagaprasanna, who had reserved the orders on September 12, pronounced his verdict by observing that the matter requires investigation as the beneficiary alleged is none other than the family of the petitioner (chief minister).
The judge also declined the request made by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing through video conferencing on behalf of Siddaramaiah, for continuing the interim order for two weeks by observing that with the dismissal of the petition, the same is automatically vacated.
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On August 17, the governor had accorded sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 218 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), citing three applications.
The complainants had alleged that the Chief Minister had misused his official position for the allotment of alternative sites in his wife's name on the strength of certain fake documents in the layout formed by MUDA.
On August 19, Justice Nagaprasanna had granted an interim order, directing the special court to defer its proceedings and not to take any precipitative action against the petitioner.