Wed Feb 19 12:56:33 UTC 2025: ## Karnataka Lokayukta Clears Siddaramaiah in MUDA Land Scam

**Bengaluru, [Date]** – The Karnataka Lokayukta, the state’s anti-corruption watchdog, announced today that it has found insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his wife, BM Parvathi, in connection with the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land scam. The Lokayukta stated that the allegations, which also implicated Siddaramaiah’s brother-in-law and another individual, appeared to be civil in nature rather than criminal offenses.

A final report recommending no further action will be submitted to the High Court after a week, allowing complainant Snehamayi Krishna, an anti-corruption activist, to respond. However, the Lokayukta will continue to investigate compensatory land allotments made by MUDA between 2016 and 2024, including those to the Chief Minister’s wife, and will submit a supplementary report to the court.

This decision comes after a protracted legal battle. Following allegations of irregularities in land allotments, costing the state an estimated ₹45 crore, anti-corruption activists petitioned the Governor to prosecute Siddaramaiah. While the Governor initially approved the request, the Karnataka High Court ultimately upheld the Governor’s authority to do so. Siddaramaiah had challenged this action, claiming it was illegal, but his challenge was rejected.

Despite the Lokayukta’s findings, a separate money-laundering investigation by the Enforcement Directorate remains ongoing. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining the land allotted to his wife was a gift from her brother. He has also characterized the allegations as politically motivated.

The Lokayukta’s decision is expected to be a significant political boost for the ruling Congress party, which faced intense pressure from the BJP and JDU, who demanded Siddaramaiah’s resignation and a CBI investigation. The state government’s previous withdrawal of general consent for the CBI to operate within Karnataka further complicated the matter.

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