Sidda gets Lokayukta clean chit in land case

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and his family have been cleared of wrongdoing in the ongoing investigation into the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land case by the Lokayukta, three people familiar with the matter said.

- Arun Dev

BENGALURU:

The people, speaking anonymously, added that the anti-corruption police department's findings indicate that although MUDA officials violated regulations during the land denotification and conversion processes, there is no evidence suggesting any wrongdoing by Siddaramaiah or his wife. With the report highlighting serious lapses by MUDA commissioners and revenue officials, the Lokayukta has sought legal advice regarding possible action against them, the people said.

With reports of the chief minister and his wife being cleared doing the rounds on Thursday, the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party demanded an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

A Subramanya Rao, the inspector general of police (Lokayukta) said that no report has been submitted to the Lokayukta headquarters in Bengaluru from the Mysuru office, which is probing the matter. "When we get the report, we will ratify it before submitting it to the court. The next court hearing on the matter is on Monday. So, we have to submit the report by Saturday," he told HT.