Bengaluru Court Sets Two-Month Deadline for MUDA Probe After Rejecting Bid to Replace Investigator

Overview

• The Additional City Civil and Sessions Court directed the Karnataka Lokayukta to file a comprehensive report within two months with no extension permitted, listing November 15 for furnishing the final report.
• The court rejected complainant Snehamayi Krishna’s application to replace the investigating officer, allowing the existing Lokayukta team to continue the probe.
• Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his wife B.M. Parvathi are named as Accused No. 1 and 2 in a case alleging 14 sites were allotted to her under MUDA’s 50:50 scheme in exchange for 3.16 acres over which she allegedly lacked legal title.
• A Lokayukta closure (“B”) report previously filed in the case remains undecided, with the court stating it will consider it only after the ongoing investigation is completed.
• The Enforcement Directorate is pursuing a parallel PMLA investigation, has objected to the Lokayukta’s closure report, and says it has attached 252 MUDA sites valued at about Rs 400 crore.