The police wing of the Lokayukta has summoned Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to appear before it in Mysuru on Wednesday in connection with an alleged land scam, reported PTI on Monday.
Lokayukta is the state’s anti-corruption ombudsman.
Responding to the summons, the chief minister told reporters: “I will go.”
The alleged scam pertains to the allotment of 14 high-value housing sites in Mysuru’s Vijaynagar area to Siddaramaiah’s wife, Parvathi, in 2021 by the Mysore Urban Development Authority under a state government scheme.
This was allegedly done in exchange for 3.1 acres of land that Parvathi owned in another part of the city. The land was allegedly illegally acquired from Dalit families.
On September 25, a special court in Bengaluru ordered a Lokayukta police investigation against Siddaramaiah after the Karnataka High Court upheld the sanction granted by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to prosecute him.
Siddaramaiah had moved the High Court in August challenging Gehlot’s decision, contending that it was part of a concerted effort to destabilise the Congress government in Karnataka.
On September 27, the Lokayukta police registered a first information report against Siddaramaiah, Parvathi, her brother Mallikarjuna Swamy and a person named Devaraju.
Swamy had reportedly purchased the land in question from Devaraju and gifted it to Parvathi.
On September 30, the Enforcement Directorate booked Siddaramaiah under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in the matter based on the FIR registered by the Lokayukta police.
On October 1, Parvathi offered to return the plots in the matter. Subsequently, the Mysore Urban Development Authority said that it would take back the 14 plots.
A fresh complaint was filed with the Enforcement Directorate on October 2 against Siddaramaiah for allegedly tampering with records and destroying evidence in the matter.
On October 24, Siddaramaiah filed a fresh appeal before the division bench of the High Court, challenging the earlier order dismissing the appeal against the governor’s sanction.
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