MUDA case: Karnataka High Court fixes responsibilities on IGP and ADGP of Lokayukta police to oversee investigation and scrutinise reports  

Court directs the Lokayukta police to submit records of investigation conducted from December 19, 2024, to Jan. 15, 2025, while adjourning further hearing on the petition till January 27

The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday made two top police officers of the Lokayukta police accountable by entrusting them with the responsibilities of overseeing and scrutinising the investigation being carried out by the Mysuru wing of the Lokayukta police into the criminal case registered against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others. This is over the alleged allotment of 14 sites to his wife illegally by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

The court directed the Inspector-General of Police (Lokayukta Police) to oversee the investigation done by its Mysuru wing and directed the Additional Director-General of Police (Lokayukta Police) to scrutinise the status and other reports of the investigations prior to submission of the reports before the court.

Petition by Snehamayi Krishna

Justice M. Nagaprasanna issued the directions while hearing a petition filed by Mysuru-based activist Snehamayi Krishna, who had sought a transfer of the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) saying that the investigation by the Lokayukta police does not inspire confidence for many reasons.

The court also directed the Lokayukta police to submit the records of the investigation conducted from December 19, 2024, to January 15, 2025, while adjourning further hearing on the petition till January 27.

‘Flimsy grounds’

Earlier, Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for Mr. Krishna, claimed that the Mysuru wing of the Lokayukta police, which had taken up an investigation into irregularities in MUDA prior to the registration of the case against the Chief Minister and others, had dropped the probe on flimsy ground that a large number of files of MUDA was taken away by a committee of three IAS officers a day prior the Lokayukta police were supposed to search the premises of MUDA.

What prevented the Lokayukta police from executing a search warrant and seizing the files from the committee of IAS officers, asked Mr. Singh, while pointing out that the pace with which the Lokayukta police acted after the registration of the criminal case against Mr. Siddaramaiah, his wife, and others too does not inspire confidence.

The court adjourned further hearing as the statement of objections is yet to be filed by the respondents, Mr. Siddaramaiah, his wife, and others on Mr. Krishna’s plea for transfer of the probe to the CBI.

Published - January 15, 2025 07:37 pm IST