Karnataka CM Angered By Lokayukta Over Land Allotment To His Wife

Siddaramaiah belongs to Siddaramanahundi, a village in Mysuru taluk, and represents the Varuna Assembly seat in Mysuru district.

However, the timing of Siddaramaiah’s questioning by the Lokayukta led social activist and petitioner Snehamayi Krishna to doubt the fair conduct of the investigation and she termed the timing as predetermined (as per the CM’s instructions).

Mysuru-based activist Snehamayi Krishna filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court seeking transfer of land distribution investigation from Lokayukta to CBI.

“The timing of the interrogation by the Lokayukta (within the stipulated time) raises doubts about the (fair) functioning of the Lokayukta and has provided solid evidence of pressure for an investigation by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths,” the activist said.

According to the tour schedule released by the Chief Minister’s office on Wednesday, Siddaramaiah arrived in Mysuru city around 10 am and left around 12 pm to campaign for Congress candidate CP Yogeshwar in the Channapatna meeting by-poll fray in Ramnagar district.

The Lokayukta on Monday summoned the Chief Minister for questioning about land shares after a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against the CM, his wife, brother-in-law and others. Lokayukta SP had earlier questioned CM’s brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and BM Parvathi in the same case.

Responding to the Lokayukta notice, the Chief Minister reached Mysuru city from Bengaluru and appeared before the Lokayukta SP at his office around 10.30 am and left around 12 pm after interrogation.

After coming out of the Lokayukta office, the Prime Minister told reporters that he had answered the questions put to him by the Lokayukta and his statement was recorded by the sleuths.

To questions regarding the fair functioning of the Lokayukta as it is under the State Government, the Chief Minister said that like the CBI, which is an independent institution under the Central Government, the Lokayukta is also an independent institution at the State level.

Continuing his remarks, he said that the opposition parties do not trust the functioning of the Lokayukta and the Lokayukta has initiated an investigation on the orders of the Supreme Court. “Has the BJP handed over any cases to the CBI (during its rule)?” He asked the Prime Minister.

Besides the Lokayukta investigation, sleuths of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), equivalent to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s police FIR charging him with money laundering charges.

ED sleuths conducted raids on MUDA’s office in Mysuru city and persons linked to irregularities in allocations made by MUDA.

After ED’s ECIR, Siddaramaiah’s wife BM Parvathi wrote a letter to the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) Commissioner stating her decision to voluntarily return the 14 plots allotted to her in lieu of losing 3.16 acres of land in Kesare .