Now, all eyes on Lokayukta report on MUDA scam

Karnataka High Court has directed anti-corruption agency to submit its report by January 27

- BALA CHAUHAN @ Bengaluru

AFTER the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) attached 142 immovable properties worth Rs 300 crore on Friday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the MUDA case against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others, all eyes are now on the Lokayukta report on the alleged MUDA site allotment scam.

The High Court of Karnataka has directed the Lokayukta Police, probing the alleged scam in which Siddaramaiah and his wife BM Parvathi are accused No 1 and accused No 2, to submit its report by January 27.

Siddaramaiah was booked under Sections 9 (bribing public servant by a commercial organisation) and 13 (criminal misconduct by a public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Prohibition of Benami Transaction and Land Grabbing Acts.

Under the PC Act, the Lokayukta Police are investigating whether there was any criminal intent (mens rea) behind the allotment of premium sites worth around Rs 56 crore to Parvathi at Vijayanagar, an upscale locality in Mysuru, in 2022 for 3.16 acres of land acquired from her by MUDA at Kesare village in Mysuru, which was worth around Rs 3.25 lakh.

"Under the PC Act, the Lokayukta Police are probing whether there was any conspiracy to wield influence (by the accused) to get the premium sites allotted and whether they were the recipients of any illegal gratification," said sources.

The ED, which has launched an investigation into the alleged scam based on the FIR registered by the Lokayukta Police, unearthed several violations, including alleged benami and other illegal transactions.

During the investigation, it was found that 3.16 acres of land was reportedly denotified and converted illegally.