Siddaramaiah faces heat as HC issues notice on plea challenging MUDA case closure

Fresh trouble is brewing for Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his family in connection with the alleged irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case. The Karnataka High Court on Thursday (March 26) issued notices to the chief minister, the Lokayukta and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) while hearing a petition challenging the acceptance of the Lokayukta police’s ‘B’ report (closure report) by a special court for elected representatives.

High Court issues notices

The petition, filed by RTI activist and private complainant Snehamayi Krishna, was taken up by a single-judge bench of Justice S Sunil Dutt Yadav. At the outset, senior advocate Lakshmi Iyengar, appearing for the complainant, argued that the ‘B’ report filed by the Lokayukta police in the MUDA case was being challenged and contended that it resembled a mere committee report.

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After hearing the arguments, the court issued notices to the Mysuru Lokayukta Superintendent of Police and the Enforcement Directorate. It also issued urgent notices to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi, his brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, former MUDA Commissioner GT Dinesh Kumar, and the original landowner J Devaraju, and adjourned the hearing.

Demand to quash ‘B’ report

The Mysuru Lokayukta Superintendent of Police had submitted a ‘B’ report regarding the case on February 12, 2025, before the Special Court for Elected Representatives (82nd Additional City Civil and Sessions Court) in Bengaluru. Subsequently, on January 28, 2026, the special court accepted the report and passed an order.

Opposing this process, petitioner Snehamayi Krishna has urged the High Court to call for and examine the Lokayukta report and set aside the special court’s order. The petitioner has also sought transfer of the entire investigation to an independent agency and requested that a fresh probe be conducted under court supervision.

Background and allegations

The case pertains to land measuring 3 acres and 16 guntas in Survey No. 464 of Kesare village in Mysuru, owned by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife BM Parvathi, which was acquired by MUDA. As compensation, 14 sites worth approximately ₹56 crore were allegedly allotted irregularly.

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It is alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah misused his authority and influenced officials in this process. Based on these allegations, Snehamayi Krishna filed a complaint on July 3, 2024. The governor granted sanction for investigation on August 17.

Challenging this, Siddaramaiah had approached the High Court, but his plea was dismissed. On September 24, 2024, the High Court allowed the investigation to proceed. However, after probing the case, the Lokayukta police filed a ‘B’ report clearing the chief minister and his family, which was later accepted by the special court.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Karnataka.)