A special court for elected representatives in Karnataka has directed the Lokayukta police to furnish the case diary related to its investigation into allegations of illegal land allotments by the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to the family of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. This order came on Thursday after the Lokayukta police sought additional time to file their final report, citing they were awaiting government sanction for prosecution.
Court's Directive and Police's Request for Time
The special court, which had earlier set December 18 as the deadline for submitting the final report, has now posted the matter for hearing to December 23. During the hearing, the court directed the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) to provide the case diary (CD) files by the next date. The court noted the submission by the Lokayukta police that the investigation is in its last stage but a necessary sanction order is required to be obtained.
The Lokayukta police's request for an extension was opposed by the complainant in the case, RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna. Krishna argued that the police had made no progress in the probe. The SPP countered this, stating the state was ready to furnish the final report in a sealed cover and file the case diary to establish the credibility of the police's arguments.
Background of the MUDA Land Allotment Case
The case stems from a private complaint filed by Snehamayi Krishna alleging illegal allotment of 14 housing sites by MUDA in 2021 to the wife of the current Chief Minister. The complaint alleged these sites were given in exchange for a 3.16-acre property that was wrongfully acquired by MUDA, resulting in a purported benefit of around Rs 56 crore to Siddaramaiah's family.
In a significant development earlier, the Lokayukta police had filed a closure report, or 'B' report, in February 2025, stating a lack of evidence to establish the allegations. However, in April this year, the special court kept its decision on accepting or rejecting this closure report in abeyance. It allowed the Lokayukta police to continue their probe until the filing of a final report.
Parallel ED Investigation and Recent Actions
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is conducting a parallel money laundering investigation into the MUDA scam, had filed a protest petition against the Lokayukta's closure report. The special court had permitted the ED to continue its probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
In a related action, the ED filed a prosecution complaint on November 14 against former MUDA commissioner G T Dinesh Kumar, alleging his active involvement in the money laundering scheme. The former commissioner has challenged the ED case in the Karnataka High Court.
Amid the controversy, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife returned the 14 allotted housing sites to MUDA last year. The special court's latest move to examine the case diary underscores the ongoing judicial scrutiny of this politically sensitive investigation, with the next hearing scheduled for December 23.
